Future Imperfect
by TheRealThing
Summary: A time travel story in which Anakin Skywalker is sent to the future to witness the consequences of his actions.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue **

Anakin stood at the window, looking out at the darkening Coruscant sky. Tears rolled down his face, his heart ached in turmoil as he watched the never ending traffic outside.

_I did the right thing, _he told himself over and over; _I told the Jedi about Palpatine. _And yet, had it been the right thing? He could not get over the shocking conversation he'd had with Palpatine earlier that day, when he had revealed himself to be a Dark Lord of the Sith. _How could I not have seen it? How did he hide it for so long? _

And yet, that was not important now. All that mattered now, all that Anakin could think about now was the promise that Palpatine had made to him. _Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death._

If this were true, then shouldn't he be doing everything he could to prevent Palpatine from being harmed? If he and he alone held the key to saving Padmé, then his life had to be protected at any cost, even if it meant disobeying the Jedi, even if it meant taking the side of a Sith over the Jedi. The thought of living without Padmé was beyond his ability to even consider; he knew that should anything happen to her, his own life would not be worth living. And that was enough to make the decision for him.

Brushing the tears from his face impatiently, Anakin hurried out of the Jedi Council chamber, and ran down the corridor. His heart pounding within him, he headed for the landing platform, knowing that every second counted if he were to prevent the unthinkable from happening.

The landing platform was crowded with speeders when Anakin arrived. With single-minded determination he ran to his own vessel, jumping in and taking off at once. Pushing all thoughts of what the ramifications would be of what he was about to do, Anakin set his course and raced for the Senate building.

Weaving in and out of traffic, Anakin pushed the speeder for all he could in his haste to reach the chancellor's office before it was too late. Dodging slower vehicles, he raced at breakneck speed through the busy causeways, drawing closer and closer until he reached one of the many tunnels that lie along his route. He careened along the walls, banking his speeder until the hull of it skimmed the surface of the tunnel's side, sparks flying as he flew over the cement wall. A flash of sparks flew up in his view screen, temporarily blinding him. When the sparks dissipated, Anakin looked out the clear screen once again. But he was no longer in the tunnel. In fact, he was no longer on Coruscant. Confused and disoriented, Anakin did his best to get his bearings, not noticing that he was on a head-on collision with a large, Calimarian transport ship.

"Unidentified craft, what the hell are you doing?" a voice shouted angrily over his comm.. "Pull up!!"

Anakin yanked hard on the controls, managing to avoid a head on collision at the last second. But the wing of his fighter grazed the hull of the larger ship, crumpling it like paper. Immediately Anakin lost control of the ship, as the controls went haywire.

"I have no control," he shouted into the comm..

"Hold on, pilot," the voice on the other end told him. "We'll bring you in."

"Make it fast," Anakin replied, "the damn thing's overheating!"

"Copy that."

Anakin did his best to remain calm as the cockpit of the fighter become unbearably hot. Sparks started to fly from the control panel as he attempted to shut down everything but life support. Finally he felt the lurch as the ship's tractor beam grabbed a hold of him. He started to cough as smoke began filling the cockpit. He put his hands over his face as he was pulled into the larger craft.

As soon as he felt his ship touch down, he activated the hatch, smoke billowing out of the cockpit. He stood up, coughing and fanning the smoke away from his face. Hands helped him get out of the ship and lead him away from the wreckage. His eyes burned and watered from the smoke, and for a moment he couldn't see where he was.

"Take it easy, pilot, you're safe now," the voice told him, still holding him by the arm. Anakin rubbed his eyes as he continued to cough. "Let's get you to the infirmary."

"No," he replied hoarsely. "I'm alright," he assured his as yet invisible savior. "Thank you," he added.

"No problem," the man replied. "What the hell happened out there?" he asked. "You just appeared out of no where."

"I don't know," Anakin said, his eyes starting to adjust and feel better. "I was on Coruscant, on my way to the …"  
"Coruscant?" the man said. "You mean Imperial Center?"

Anakin looked at the man, taking note of the strange uniform he wore. "Imperial Center?" he said. "What is that?"

The man lifted his eyebrows. "Looks like you may need some medical attention after all, friend," he said. "Let's get you looked at."

"I don't need medical help," Anakin said, frustrated at the man's insistence. "I need to get to the Senate! The Jedi…I need to talk to a Jedi. Surely you must have some on board your ship."

"Jedi??" the man said, growing more alarmed by the minute. He was about to say something when the door opened and a middle aged man entered.

"Everything alright, lieutenant?" the man asked.

"Well, I'm not sure, sir," the man replied. "Maybe you ought to talk to our visitor here. He seems a little disoriented."

The man nodded, looking at Anakin suspiciously. "Who are you? And how did you get here?"

Anakin looked at the man whose uniform was similar to the other man he'd encountered. "I…I don't know how I got here," he replied at last. "As I told him, I was on my way to the Senate, when suddenly I appeared outside your ship."

The man looked at his younger counterpart, the disbelief clear on his face.

"I was about to take him to the infirmary, General," the guard said.

"Good idea," the older man said.

"Wait, did you say General?" Anakin asked. "You're a general?"

The man turned to him. "That's right," he said. "I'm Carlist Rieekan, General."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

Anakin looked at Rieekan suspiciously. His clothing looked like no Republican uniform he'd ever seen. "You're a general? A Republican general?" he asked, the doubt evident in his voice.

Rieekan and the security guard exchanged a look of surprise at his question.

"You were hit on the head pretty bad, weren't you?" the guard asked in amusement.

Anakin narrowed his eyes, growing more and more unnerved by the reaction he was receiving from these strangers.

"Let's get you to the medical wing, friend," Rieekan said. "You're in some sort of state of shock or something."

"I'm not," Anakin insisted. "And I don't need medical intervention. What I really need is to go home," he said. "My wife will be worried…I have duties to perform, don't you understand that?"

Rieekan sighed, trying not to lose patience with the obviously deranged young man. "We will get you home just as soon as we can," he said. "But for now, please," he said, indicating the door. "Let's get you checked out."

Anakin realized that, for now, he would have to go along with this man; at least until he could repair his ship and get back to Coruscant. And so he followed along with Rieekan as the security guard led him out of the hangar bay.

As Anakin walked along with the General, he could not shake off a strange feeling of familiarity. It was as though somehow he knew was close by, someone very close to him. Or was it something else? Perhaps it was Jedi that he sensed; yes, that was it. There was a definite strong Force presence in the vicinity. _So why did that guard look at me strangely when I mentioned Jedi earlier? _ He wondered. _ Is this some sort of covert operation I'm unaware of? Damn that Jedi Council for keeping me in the dark again! _He thought angrily.

. Thoughts of the Jedi Council made his anxiety increase. What had happened at the Senate? Had Mace Windu and the other Jedi succeeded in arresting the chancellor? Or had they killed him for the Sith traitor that he was? _I have to get back to Coruscant! _ He thought desperately; _these people don't understand what is at stake here! _

"Look," Anakin said at last, as he stepped onto a turbolift with the general. "I really don't need medical attention. What I really need is a ship."

Rieekan looked up at him. "To go where?"

"Let me guess," the guard said. "Coruscant?" Rieekan looked at him in surprise.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, Coruscant," he replied.

Rieekan frowned, growing more perplexed than ever by the young man's confusion.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," he replied at last.

Anakin frowned, his frustration growing with each minute. "Why the hell not?" he demanded.

"Because you may very well be an Imperial spy," Rieekan replied tersely, looking him in the eye. "We're not stupid. You just show up here out of no where, tell us nothing about who you are, claim to have a wife worried about you somewhere in some lame effort to gain our sympathy and trust, and then conveniently fly back to the heart of the Imperial Fleet. Very smooth. But I'm afraid I'm not fooled so easily. You're here and you're going to stay here until we can determine who you really are."

Anakin was about to use his lightsaber to get into aggressive negotiations when the turbolift stopped. The door opened and two more security guards stepped into line beside them. Not wanting to get into a situation that could delay his departure any further, Anakin decided to remain calm, calling upon the Force to give him patience, all the while counting the minutes that he was kept from getting back home.

"How are you feeling?"

Luke smiled wanly. "Okay I guess," he replied. His face, though very pale, still bore the scars and bruises of the recent battle he had fought, a battle that had changed the young man irrevocably. But he wasn't the only one who was hurting. "How about you?" he asked.

Leia shrugged, trying to appear strong. "I'm alright," she said, not too convincingly.

"We'll get him back, Leia," Luke assured her, taking her hand with his own remaining one. "I promise."

"I know," she replied, casting her eyes down to the floor. "Lando and Chewbacca have been working out a plan," she told him. "They are planning on leaving for Tatooine within a few days. Lando thinks he can infiltrate Jabba's place."

Luke nodded, the affects of the painkillers he was still taking making him sleepy. He hated feeling like this; his two best friends in the universe needed him. And here he was weak and helpless, too battered to even get out of bed without help yet. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional anguish he was suffering. Luke couldn't close his eyes without reliving that moment on the gantry, that moment that would define his life henceforth…._Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father….He told me enough! He told me __**you**__ killed him!! …No, __**I**__ am your father…No…no! That's not true…that's __**impossible!!!! **__Search your feelings; you know it to be true!! __**No!! No!!!**_

"Luke? You alright?"

Luke shook himself from his somber musings and looked up at her. "Yeah," he lied. "I'm alright."

Leia frowned, not believing him for a moment. "You get some rest, Luke," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "The medics tell me your new hand will be ready in a couple of days."

Luke forced himself to smile. "Great," he said.

Leia smiled, and kissed his cheek. "Rest now," she told him. "I'll be back later."

Luke nodded, watching her go, wishing he could tell her what it was that haunted him, but knowing that she would be too horrified to understand. _She'd probably never trust me again if she knew, _he thought miserably. _ I'm Darth Vader's son…who will ever trust me again? _

Anakin did his utmost to keep his impatience in check; but the medidroid was infuriating in its thoroughness.

"What have we here?" the droid asked when it noticed the gauntlet covering Anakin's prosthesis.

"Don't tell me you've never seen an artificial limb before?" Anakin asked tersely.

"Well yes, of course," the droid replied. "May I examine it?" it asked.

"By all means," Anakin replied.

The droid began unbuckling the straps on the gauntlet and then removed it to reveal Anakin's bionic hand and forearm.

"Oh dear," the droid said as it looked at the metal appendage. "It looks like it sustained some damage in your accident."

Anakin looked down at the prosthesis. "There's nothing wrong with it," he said, flexing his metal fingers. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, sir, it's…bare," the droid replied.

Anakin frowned. "What do you mean, bare?"

"I mean it has no covering of synthetic skin," the droid replied. "But don't worry, that can be easily fixed."

Anakin was utterly confused by this point, the droid having ceased to make sense. "Is that a new technology?" he asked at last. "I've never heard of such a thing."

The droid wasn't certain how to respond to such a statement. There was no data in its memory banks that could help, for it could not recall a time when such technology did not exist. "Would you like me to commence building you a new prosthesis?" it asked instead. "It would only take a day or so. Our technicians are already working on a new hand for Commander Sky…"

"I don't have time for that," Anakin interjected impatiently. "I've lived with this for three years," he said, indicating his prostheses as he started putting his gauntlet back on. "I don't need a new one now."

Once again the droid was utterly confused by the man's response. "As you wish, sir," it replied. "You are completely healthy," it said.

"I could have told you that," Anakin replied standing up from the examination table. "Does that mean I can get out of here now?"

The droid looked at the doorway, where the two security guards still stood. "That is not up to me, sir," it replied. "I believe our commanders will make that decision."

Anakin looked at the doorway, dismayed to see the security guards still waiting for him. He did not want to have to make a scene; but he was reaching a point of desperation. He simply had to get back to Coruscant, no matter what.

"Come with us, please," one of the security guards said, stepping into the room.

"I need to talk to your commanding officer," Anakin told the guards. "It's very important."

"That's where we're going, friend," the second guard said. "Come on."

"No way, Leia, out of the question."

Leia folded her arms over her chest as she prepared for a battle. "Lando, there is no other way," she told him. "If we're ever going to get Han out of there, we'll need a way to get inside. You have your plan; this is mine."

"Han will kill me if I allow you to do this," Lando countered.

"Han is in no position to do anything right now, is he?" Leia retorted, the thought of him in the clutches of Jabba the Hutt still chilling her. "Would you give me some credit?" she asked her tone calmer. "I've been in a few…situations myself. I can handle it."

Lando sighed, shaking his head. "I guess I'll just have to trust that you know what you're doing," he said. "Besides, it will take Chewie and me weeks to gain Jabba's trust. Hopefully by the time we're ready to set our plan into motion you'll have a less dangerous plan than this."

Leia rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me Princess."

Leia activated her comlink. "What is it, General?"

"We have a situation here that I could use your input on," Rieekan said. "Could you meet me in the conference room?"

"Of course," she said. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Wonder what that's about," Lando said.

"I don't know," she replied. "You coming?"

"No, I've got to make sure the Falcon is up to specs," he told her. "I'll catch up with you later."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

Anakin sat down at the large table, his lightsaber on the table before him as per Rieekan's request. He looked around the table at the other commanders. He sensed no duplicity from any of them, or any ill will towards him. _They're not separatists, _he decided; _but who are they then? _

"Our medics tell us that you have sustained no damage from your accident," General Rieekan began, addressing Anakin.

Anakin nodded in response. "I tried to tell you that," he remarked.

"Yes, so you did," Rieekan replied. "We have a few questions for you," he continued.

"And I have some for you as well," Anakin replied.

Rieekan glanced at Admiral Ackbar, who was watching Anakin closely.

"First of all, we'd like to know who you are," Rieekan began, "and how you found us."

Anakin frowned. "Found you? Your ship is rather hard to miss, as my damaged fighter will attest to," he remarked.

Rieekan frowned. "Are you trying to be funny?" he asked.

"Not at all," Anakin replied. "All I want is to get out of here."

"We can't let you go until we know who you are," Ackbar spoke up. "So why don't you start with your name."

Anakin looked at the Calamarian in surprise. "You don't know who I am?" he asked.

"If we knew, we wouldn't be asking, would we?" Rieekan replied tersely.

_How can they not know who I am? _Anakin thought in confusion. _I'm the Hero with no Fear! My face is on the holonet every night! _ The fact that they didn't know him unsettled him, and he decided to be cautious.

"Starkiller," he said at last. "Anakin Starkiller."

"Well now, Mr. Starkiller," Ackbar said, "why were you in this quadrant?"

"Well, I…" Anakin began, but stopped as a young woman walked into the room. She was dressed all in white, and her dark hair was coiled up in a long braid on the top of her head. She looked at Anakin with large brown eyes that halted the words he was about to say before they could leave his mouth.

"Ah, Princess Leia," Ackbar said as the young woman took a seat. "Thank you for joining us. Princess this is Anakin Starkiller," he said, indicating Anakin. "This is the man we pulled in as he was about to crash."

Leia nodded in understanding, having heard the reports of the strange incident. The way the man was looking at her unsettled her, and she looked away from him.

"You were about to tell us why you were in this quadrant," Rieekan said.

Anakin ignored the man and looked at Leia. "Who are you?" he asked.

Leia was startled by the man's boldness, and turned her dark eyes back to his. She could not help but notice how startlingly blue his eyes were; they reminded her of someone, but she couldn't remember who at the moment.

"Leia Organa," she told him.

"You're a princess?" he asked.

Leia frowned. "I believe we're here to discuss your identity, not mine," she reminded him tersely.

There was something about this young woman that Anakin could not deny, something…familiar, as though somehow he knew her. And then it hit her- she looked like Padmé.

"Are you related to Senator Amidala?" he asked her, completely ignoring her comment.

Leia's frown deepened, deciding that she didn't like this bold man. She looked at Ackbar in exasperation.

"Starkiller, you were asked a question," Ackbar said. "What are you doing in this quadrant?"

"I have no idea what I'm doing here," Anakin admitted, turning to Ackbar again. "I was on my way to the Senate building when I found myself outside your ship."

"What Senate building?" Leia asked.

"The one on Coruscant, of course," Anakin replied. "Is there another??"  
"No, but that building has been empty since the Emperor dissolved the senate two years ago," Rieekan remarked. "Why would you be going there?"

"What are you talking about??" Anakin asked, starting to grow uneasy. "Emperor? What emperor?"

Ackbar, Rieekan and Leia looked at one another. _He's mad, _Leia thought, starting to wonder what had caused the man's delusions; _he has to be. _

"I think perhaps you need to let the medics examine you again," Leia said, trying to be gentle. "You're obviously suffering from some sort of shock or something," she added.

Anakin frowned, starting to wonder if they were all mad. Had he stumbled into some sort of flying insane asylum? Still, what he sensed from them did not bespeak of any madness; they were cautious, concerned, and desperate to learn the truth of him. The princess, however, was harder to read. There was a definite Force presence to her, which, he decided, must be the reason he felt connected to her somehow.

"Perhaps you're right," he said at last, deciding he needed time alone to think through things. "I'm not myself," he added for good measure.

Leia glanced at the others for a moment, confused by the way Anakin had decided to speak to her almost exclusively. "Very well," she said, standing up. "Let's get you back to the infirmary." She held out her hand to Anakin. "May I?" she said, indicating the lightsaber.

Anakin hesitated for a moment, the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi coming to mind: _This weapon is your life! _ And yet, he trusted the young woman. He wasn't sure why, but he did. Besides, he needed these people to trust him if he were to ever get back home. He handed her the weapon, and then stood up. Leia looked down at the lightsaber as Anakin came around the table to join her. _I've seen this before, _she thought as she simply stood for a moment, fascinated by the weapon; _where did he get this? And why does it look so familiar?_

"Princess?"

Leia looked up at Anakin, and then headed for the door, with Anakin at her side.

Anakin watched Leia as they rode the turbolift. He could see how interested she was in his lightsaber, which gave his theory about her even more credence.

"You're a Jedi," he stated matter-of-factly.

"No, I'm not," she replied. "I suppose you think you are, though," she added.

Anakin wasn't impressed with her remark and took his lightsaber from her with a simple movement of his hand. The ever present security guards immediately raised their weapons.

"At ease," Leia said, looking at Anakin, knowing somehow that he would not hurt her.

"Have you ever seen a weapon like this?" he asked, activating it. "How many people do you know who own one are not Jedi?" he asked.

"I only know one person who owns one," she replied, looking at the weapon.

"And is this person a Jedi?" he asked.

"Well, I guess so," she replied with a shrug.

"Of course he is," Anakin replied. "Only a Jedi knows how to make a weapon like this."

"Oh he didn't make it," Leia said. "It was his father's. As a matter of fact, he lost it a few days ago. Maybe you found it," she added, unable to resist another good natured jab at his ego.

"Are you always this impossible?" he grumbled as he followed her out of the lift, noting the two security guards they had picked up as they exited.

Leia smiled. "Not always," she replied. "Just when I have to deal with difficult people."

Anakin muttered a Huttese curse under his breath, knowing from experience not to swear within earshot of females. Leia merely continued to ignore him and lead him to the infirmary. They had almost reached their destination when a dark skinned, mustachioed man stepped into the corridor. Leia didn't stop as the man fell into step with her.

"Who's this?" the man asked suspiciously, giving Anakin the once over.

"This is Anakin Starkiller," Leia said, turning to Anakin. "Anakin, this is Lando Calrissian. He's one of our generals."

"Where are you taking him?" he asked Leia, deciding to ignore Anakin.

"Back to the infirmary," she replied as they continued on their way again. "I think he really has had some head trauma," she added, glancing back at Anakin. "He keeps saying the strangest things."

"Like what?" Lando asked.

"Well, he asked me if I was a Jedi," she told him. "And seemed to know nothing about the emperor," she added.

"Weird," Lando replied.

Lando and Leia stopped at a door a little further down the corridor.

"Here we are," Leia said, turning to Anakin. "The infirmary."

Anakin walked in, turning to Leia when she did not follow him in.

"I'm going to check on my friend," she told him, the thoughts of him immensely painful to her.

Anakin nodded, and walked into the room, leaving Leia for now.

Luke was just finishing his lunch when Leia came into the room.

"You look better already," she told him.

"A good meal works wonders," he replied with a smile as she took the tray from him.

Leia looked at him for a moment, wondering if she ought to ask him what she wanted to, what she'd wanted to since she'd seen him dangling in the wind under Cloud City. "Luke, what happened up there?" she asked him at last. "What did Vader want with you?"

Luke looked away from her. "I told you what he wanted," he replied quietly. "He wanted to kill me."

Leia frowned. "Luke, I've known Darth Vader for a long time," she said. "And I know that if he'd meant to kill you, he would have. You got away, Luke; you escaped him. No one escapes Darth Vader, Luke. Clearly there was more to his interest in you than merely killing you. Why else would he have set up the elaborate trap to catch you? He knew exactly how to get you to come to Bespin. Vader is many things, but stupid is not one of them. Quite the opposite in fact; he does nothing without a reason."

Luke turned and looked at her. "What do you want me to tell you, Leia?" He asked tiredly. "I don't know what he wants with me, okay? He's a psychopath, a murderer; you can't assume his mind works the way other people's do. Otherwise, why would he have spent the past twenty years murdering and killing, and destroying?"

Leia could see that she had struck a nerve, and regretted having said anything. There clearly was more to Luke's encountered with Vader than met the eye; but until he was willing to discuss it, Leia could only conjecture and do her best to help her friend through the emotional depression he had sunk into.

"I'm sorry," she said at last. "I didn't mean to upset you, Luke. I'm just trying to understand."

Luke sighed, feeling guilty for having lashed out at her. "I know you didn't, Leia," he said. "I'm sorry too. I'm just….not ready to tell you about what happened yet, okay? I can't even wrap my mind around it myself yet. But when I am, you'll be the first one I talk to, okay?"

Leia nodded. "Okay," she said. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, feeling awkward with him all of a sudden.

"No," Luke replied. "Thanks."

"Alright," she replied. "I'm going to see how our visitor is doing," she told him.

"Visitor?" Luke asked.

"Yes, a very unusual man who just showed up outside our ship's hull," she told him. "I think the poor man is crazy," she told him.

Luke smiled wanly. "I can relate," he said.

Leia smiled, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're not crazy, Luke," she said. "Just scared, and tired, and hurting. But you're also strong, and I know you'll get past all this."

Luke sighed shakily. "I hope so," he said quietly.

Leia gave his hand a squeeze, and then left him once again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three**

"It seems perhaps my initial prognosis was in error," the medidroid said as Anakin sat down once again on an examination table.

Anakin didn't dispute the droid's statement, deciding it would be futile to do so at this point. Clearly he was in some sort of colony of outcasts, or perhaps a splinter faction of the separatist movement that had not yet been detected by the Jedi order.

"Perhaps so," he agreed.

"I am going to give you a sedative," the droid told him. "Your body shows signs of extended fatigue and stress," it told him. "This state could be contributing to your state of disorientation and confusion."

Anakin could not deny that he was exhausted; he could not remember the last time he'd had a decent night's sleep. And yet, time was of the essence.

"I really don't see how that is nec…" Anakin said, stopping as he felt the jab of a hypodermic in his deltoid. He turned to see a second droid standing at his right shoulder.

"Great," he muttered as the droids helped him into a lying position. Within moments, Anakin was sound asleep.

Days of worrying about his wife and nights wrestling with nightmares had left Anakin far more exhausted than he had realized, and it wasn't long before he found himself in a deep sleep.

_He found himself home again, in the apartment that he shared with his wife. She was not home, however; the only person in the apartment besides himself was a white haired man with a beard. _

"_Hello Anakin," the man said. "It's good to see you again, old friend."_

_Anakin looked at the old man, his face familiar somehow. "Do I know you?" he asked. _

_The old man nodded. "You do," he replied. "We were once the best of friends, you and me."_

_Anakin stared in disbelief at the old man. "Obi-Wan??" he asked. "Is that you?"_

_Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes, it's me."_

"_What happened to you?" Anakin asked. "You're…old!"_

_Obi-Wan stroked his beard pensively. "I suppose I am," he agreed. "Time has a way of doing that to a man."_

"_I don't understand," Anakin said. "If you're old, why aren't I any different?" _

_Obi-Wan smiled. "This is rather…complicated, Anakin."_

"_What is? What's going on??" Anakin demanded. _

"_Anakin, this is not a dream you're having," Obi-Wan told him. "I have come back from the after life to give you a message."_

_Anakin stared at him. "After life?" he said. "You mean…you're dead??"_

_Obi-Wan nodded. "I've been dead almost two years now," he said. _

_Anakin frowned. "How is that possible?" he cried. "I don't understand."_

"_This is the future, Anakin," Obi-Wan explained gently. "Twenty years in the future. Surely you've noticed some rather strange inconsistencies in this place you've landed in. That's because you have been sent into the future, Anakin. Twenty years into the future."_

_Anakin was too stunned for a moment to reply. It certainly explained the strange reactions he'd received to his questions; but how was such a thing possible? _

"_How? Why??" Anakin asked at last. "How is such a thing possible?"_

"_The Force has done this, Anakin," Obi-Wan explained. "The Living Force has sent you into the future in order for you to see the results of your actions on that day you went to the Senate."_

_Anakin frowned. "What do you mean the results of my actions?" he asked, growing alarmed. "What happened??"_

"_I cannot tell you," Obi-Wan replied. "You have been sent here to learn for yourself. You will be here for one month, at which time you will be sent back to the very moment you left your own time."_

"_What am I supposed to do while I'm here?" he asked._

"_Learn, my young padawan," Obi-Wan replied with a smile. "Learn and remember."_

_Anakin wanted to question Obi-Wan further, but the old man had disappeared once again. _

Anakin awoke at this point with a start, and sat up in the bed. He looked around the medical room, the strangeness of his surroundings making sense to him now. And yet, it was disturbing as well. _If this is the future, then why don't they have any Jedi on board this ship? Why is there an emperor? What happened on that day that caused things to turn out this way? _Clearly he needed more information. And then a thought struck him: Padmé. Where was she? Where was he for that matter? And their child?? He was excited at the thought of having a glimpse into the future, to meet his child before he or she (she, definitely a she) was even born. And then he remembered the young woman he'd met earlier: Leia. Was the fact that she resembled Padmé mere coincidence? Or was she, in fact, the daughter that he'd always wanted? _No, she's Leia Organa, she's not our child, _he remembered. _Unless she married an Organa…_

"Feeling better?"

Anakin looked up to see the very same Princess Leia in his room. "Yes, thank you," he replied automatically, taking the opportunity to study her face. "Tell me, Princess, were you born an Organa? Or did you marry into the family?"

Once again, Leia was taken aback by the man's unusual manner. "I…I'm not married," she said at last, not sure how much of her personal information she ought to divulge to this man.

Anakin nodded, sensing her reticence. "I have a favor to ask," he said.

"What is that?" she asked.

"I …seem to be suffering from some memory loss," he told her. "I wonder if I could have access to a computer to ….reeducate myself."

Leia was surprised by his request; but it made sense that he'd suffered memory loss considering the strange manner in which he'd been acting.

"Of course," she said. "I can get you access to the holonet," she told him. "Of course, pretty much everything you'll see is censored by the Empire," she added.

"Of course," Anakin replied, "I'll keep that in mind."

Leia nodded. "I'll set it up at once," she told him. "You must be hungry, too. Can I have something brought to you?"

"That would be great, thanks," Anakin replied giving her a smile.

Leia smiled back. "No problem," she said. "What do you feel like? Any preferences?"

Anakin shook his head. "My wife is a terrible cook," he told her with a smile. "Anything is great."

Leia laughed. "I see," she said. "I'll be back shortly."

Anakin nodded, watching her leave, entirely convinced that Leia Organa was indeed the child his wife had been carrying when last he'd seen her. _So why was she using the name Organa and not Skywalker?? _he wondered in confusion.

A medic appeared at Anakin's side, seemingly from no where.

"I'd like to conduct some tests on you now, sir," the man announced.

Anakin looked at it. "Tests? What sort of tests?"

"Brain scans," he replied. "To rule out any brain damage. Princess Leia informed me that you seem to be suffering from memory loss."

_Me and my big mouth, _Anakin thought. "I am," he replied. "But I hardly think such drastic measure are required," he said, using the Force to manipulate the man's mind. "I will regain my memories on my own."

The medic stared at Anakin, completely forgetting what he was about to say. "Uh…what…what did I come in here for?" he asked.

Anakin smiled. "You were going to offer me a shower and a change of clothes," he said.

"Ah, yes," the man replied. "So I was. Right this way, sir."

Anakin stood up and followed the man to the fresher, more than happy to comply.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four**

"Master Luke, is there anything I might get for you?"

Luke looked up at the protocol droid, trying to muster up a smile. "No, thanks Threepio," he said. "I'm not really hungry."

"Oh," Threepio replied. He had never seen his young master so despondent, and it was beyond his programming to understand why he was acting this way. Of course, human behavior confused Threepio at the best of times.

"I understand that you are receiving your new prosthetic hand today," Threepio said in an effort to cheer Luke up.

"Yeah, I know," Luke said, the thought of an artificial hand still chilling him. "Lucky me."

Again Threepio was perplexed. "Master Luke, aren't you happy about having your hand replaced?" he asked finally.

Luke sighed. "Yes and no," he replied. "I'm happy to be getting back a hand, it's kind of hard only having one," he explained. "But the reason I have to have an artificial one in the first place is still kind of hard to think about. You understand?"

Threepio didn't; but he pretended to anyway. "I think you'll be quite pleased with the new hand, sir," he said. "I understand it's the latest in bionic technology."

"Great," Luke replied. He looked over as Leia entered the room.

"Hi," she said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Luke was beginning to grow tired of the question. "Okay," he said. "What's going on?" he asked, anxious to deflect attention away from his own situation. "Are Lando and Chewie on their way?"

"Soon," Leia replied, smoothing the blanket at the foot of his bed. "Chewie was doing some last minute repairs the last I heard from them," she added. "You know what that bucket of bolts is like," she said, forcing herself to smile.

Luke nodded, knowing how much Leia was hurting over the loss of Han Solo.

"Luke, do you really think Lando will be able to pull this off?" Leia asked, looking up at him. "Jabba the Hutt is a notorious gangster. It won't be easy to win his trust."

"No, it won't," Luke agreed. "But Lando is a resourceful guy," he reminded her. "Besides, he owes Han. Big time. I don't think he will stop until he finds a way to make this work."

Leia nodded. "I hope you're right," she said softly, lowering her eyes once again.

Luke could see how Leia was struggling with her feelings; he could feel them as though they were his own. The strange connection he'd felt with Leia virtually since the moment they'd met still amazed and confused him, and he wondered if he'd ever truly understand why it was he felt that way.

"Commander Skywalker, we're all ready for your operation," Two-One Bee announced as he entered the room with an assistant droid.

"That's great," Luke said, forcing himself to smile. He looked up at Leia, who was watching the droids with an inscrutable expression on her face. "You going to stay for this?" he asked.

"No, I'd better go check on Anakin," she replied, stepping away from the bed.

"On who??" Luke asked. "Did you say Anakin?"

Leia looked back at him. "Yes, the man I told you about," she said.

"The one you said is crazy?" Luke asked as the droids injected a local anesthetic into his forearm.

"He isn't," Leia told him. "Just suffering from memory loss."

"And his name is Anakin?"

Leia nodded. "Why? What's so significant about the name?"

Luke sighed and looked down at the tips of his toes. "That was my father's name," he told her softly.

Leia didn't know how to respond. She knew that Luke had longed for his father for as long as she'd known him, and probably even long before then. She knew what it felt like to miss a parent; she'd lost her own father when Alderaan had been obliterated by the Death Star, and her mother years earlier. Granted they were not her biological parents, but they had been the only parents she'd ever known.

"I'll be back," she told him.

Luke nodded and watched her go, and then returned his attention to the droids who were restoring his lost hand.

Anakin sat on the small cot in his room, pulling on his boots. The shower had felt good; wonderful in fact. But now that he was cleaned up and rested, he needed to focus on the massive task ahead of him.

Obi-Wan had told him that it was his actions on that day in the senate offices that had altered the future; somehow Anakin had done something on that day to change the course of the future. And from what he'd seen of it so far, the future was not looking very promising. Anakin decided that he needed answers; he needed information before he could even begin to piece together his part in all of this. And who better to give him those answers than his own wife? _But if I show up looking twenty years younger, surely that will freak her out…and what if I run into myself?? That would just be too weird, _he reasoned. He frowned as the complexity of the situation he'd landed in hit home once more.

He got up from the bed and walked over to the small desk where Princess Leia had arranged a computer link up to the Imperial holonet. Perhaps this would be a good place to start.

_Where do I begin? _ Anakin thought as he sat at the computer, staring at the blank screen. He knew that whatever information he found would be monitored by the people who were keeping him here, and so he decided to be careful. Remembering what little information he'd learned from the conversations he'd had thus far, Anakin entered a search for the word _emperor. _

At once the screen filled with file after file of information. Anakin scanned over it, stopping cold when he saw the name of the emperor: Palpatine. _Was this the same man?? The same Palpatine?? Had a Sith Lord taken control of the galaxy?? _

A cold feeling began blossoming within Anakin as he read over the information on Emperor Palpatine. The only likeness there was gave him no clue as to what the man looked like, for he wore a large, dark hood that obscured his face from view. A name kept cropping up that he'd never heard before, _Darth Vader. _It seemed that this Vader was the emperor's right hand man, and had been accredited with great and heroic deeds in the creation of the Empire. _Who is this Vader? _Anakin wondered; _did I know him? Was he a Jedi? _he decided that perhaps Darth Vader this would be the subject of his next search.

Anakin had just entered the search parameters when the door sounded. He looked up. "Come in," he called.

The door slid open and Princess Leia appeared a tray of lunch in her hands.

"I thought you might be hungry," she said as she approached him. She noted that his longish hair was wet. "Did you have a shower?"

Anakin nodded as she set the tray down. "Thanks," he said, his eyes not leaving the screen.

Leia walked around to see what it was that had him so absorbed, her body growing tense when she saw the name on the screen. Anakin sensed it, and turned around to face her.

"You know this …Vader?" he asked her.

Leia nodded. "All too well," she replied bitterly. "He's a monster, a heartless beast. Don't believe anything you read on there about him," she cautioned him. "I can tell you the truth about Darth Vader."

Anakin was intrigued, and turned around to face her. "Tell me," he said.

Leia sighed. "Where do I begin?" she said.

"Where did he come from? Who is he?" Anakin asked.

Leia's dark eyes reflected the fear and hatred she bore this man; not only that, her very essence exuded it. Anakin couldn't help but feel animosity for this Vader just based on her feelings alone.

"He's the emperor's henchman," she began.

"Is he human?" Anakin asked.

Leia frowned. "He was, I think," she said. She leaned over and scrolled down to find an image of Vader. "See for yourself," she invited him.

Anakin looked at the screen, startled by the image before him. Vader appeared to be a droid, or at least a cyborg, for his face was covered in a grotesque black mask. He was clad all in black, and on his chest there sat what appeared to be a control panel of some sort.

"He doesn't look human," he said at last, the sight of Vader unnerving him.

"They say he was injured years ago," Leia told him. "He needs that mask to breath," she said, her eyes on the image.

Anakin watched her, sensing the tremendous pain she felt. "What did he do to you?" he asked her.

Leia turned quickly to look at him, startled by his question. "Why do you ask me that?"

Anakin watched her for a moment. "Because I can sense your fear," he told her. "I can feel your pain," he added after a moment's hesitation.

Leia frowned, unable to deny her feelings, unnerved that he could read her so well.

"He's done plenty," she told him at last, not wishing to divulge her personal history to this man she barely knew. "To me, to people I love," she added as the image of Han being lowered into the carbonite flashed through her mind. "He's a monster, Anakin. My friend Luke is right next door suffering from severe trauma because of Vader," she told him bitterly.

Anakin frowned. "What did he do to him?" he asked.

"Maybe you should ask him that," Leia suggested.

"Could you arrange that?" Anakin asked. "I'd like to meet your friend."

"I suppose so," she replied. "He's in surgery right now," she told him. "So you'll have to wait for a while," she added, starting towards the door.

"Surgery for what?" Anakin asked.

Leia stopped and looked back at him. "Vader cut off his hand," she told him.

Anakin frowned. "What?? How?"

Leia hesitated for a moment, not sure how much of Luke's business she ought to be sharing with him. "With a lightsaber," she told him.

Leia's words hit Anakin hard. _A lightsaber?? Vader has a lightsaber?? _

As Anakin absorbed this piece of information, Leia left him, anxious to see how Luke was doing.

Anakin let her leave, and then turned back the screen. He stared at the grotesque image on the screen, the anxiety growing within him. _I need answers, _he thought, realizing that the Imperial information network would not give him what he needed. _I need to talk to someone who will tell me truth of what happened, he_ thought. _Padmé would tell me the truth, _he thought; but how to see her without her recognizing him? He couldn't let her know who he was, could he? Would the future be changed if she did? If there was anyone he could trust to make sense of all this, it was his wife. She was by far the most level headed person he knew. Besides, the curiosity of seeing his wife twenty years in the future was getting to him. _I'll have to find a way to get to Coruscant, _he decided, _even if I have to steal a ship to get there. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Five**

"_Luke...you know I'm telling you the truth…I would never lie to you…you are my son…"_

Luke opened his eyes, disturbed by the ease with which Vader was able to tap into his mind. What was even more disturbing was the fact that underneath the horror, the pain and the shock, Luke knew that what Vader had told him was true. _Search your feelings; you know it to be true! _Vader had challenged him. Luke didn't want to search his feelings, for he knew what he would find if he did.

Luke's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Leia with the two droids in tow. She smiled at him, pleased to see that he was awake.

"Master Luke, your new hand is remarkably realistic," Threepio told him, anxious to please his master and lift his spirits.

Luke glanced at the droid as the medical droid removed the last pieces of surgical equipment. "Thanks," he said.

Leia came over and stood beside him. She was about to tell him about Anakin when Luke's comlink sounded.

"Luke, we're ready for take off," Lando's voice was heard to say.

"Good luck Lando," Luke replied.

"When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter we'll contact you," Lando continued.

"I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine," Luke replied.

"Princess, we'll find Han," Lando continued. "I promise."

Leia lowered her eyes, struggling with her emotions.

Luke looked at Leia, sensing her pain. "Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal," he said.

Chewie's reply brought a smile to both Luke and Leia.

"Take care you two," Luke continued. "May the Force be with you."

Luke looked up at the medical droid as it removed the last piece of surgical equipment, and then made some adjustments in a tiny electronic unit. It then pricked each one of Luke's fingers, causing Luke to wiggle them in response.

"Ouch!" he said as the droid pricked the palm of his hand. Satisfied that the hand was working properly, the droid closed up the small panel on Luke's new wrist and removed the last piece of equipment. Luke was pleasantly surprised by how realistic his hand was, and flexed it briefly, looking up as Leia walked over to the large window to watch the Falcon as it prepared for its departure. Luke hopped off of the bed and walked over to Leia. They looked at one another briefly, and then Luke put his arm around her in a wordless gesture of love and support. Together they watched the _Millennium Falcon _as she blasted her way into hyperspace. Luke and Leia were silent for a moment, each absorbed in their own thoughts, both praying that Lando's quest would be a successful one.

Leia finally remembered Anakin's request, and turned to Luke. "Are you up to a visitor?" she asked Luke.

"Who?" he asked.

"That man I told you about," Leia replied, watching Luke as he walked over to the table where his affects were. "Anakin," she reminded him. "He wants to meet you."

Luke frowned, hearing his father's name very unsettling. "Why does he want to meet me?" he asked.

Leia was reluctant to tell him the real reason Anakin wanted to talk to him. Would Luke be willing to talk to a perfect stranger about his experiences with Darth Vader?

"He claims to be a Jedi," she told him at last. "He…"  
"He's a Jedi??" Luke exclaimed.

Leia nodded. "Yes, I…I think so," she replied.

"Do you?" Luke asked eagerly. "Did he show any signs of being Force sensitive?"

Leia thought for a moment. "Yes, actually he did," she remembered. "He took his lightsaber right out of my hand."

Luke's eyes widened in surprise. "He has a lightsaber?" he asked in amazement.

Leia nodded. "It looks a lot like yours," she told him.

Luke frowned as he considered this for a moment. "Who could he be? Obi-Wan never mentioned another Jedi to me," he said. "Neither did Yoda," he added. He looked back up at Leia. "I want to meet him," he said finally. "Where is he?"

"He's right next door," Leia said. "I had the medics check him again for head injury; he seems really disoriented."

"Can you bring him here?" Luke asked. "Imagine Leia, another Jedi!"

Leia nodded, not wanting Luke to get his hopes up, but unable to deny that there was something rather special about Anakin Starkiller.

"I'll get him now," she told him.

Anakin was pacing about in his small room when Leia returned to him. He looked over to her at once.

"How is your friend?" he asked her.

"He's fine," she replied. "His surgery was very successful."

"Good," Anakin responded.

"He wants to meet you," she told him, much to Anakin's surprise.

"Does he?" Anakin replied.

Leia nodded. "I told him you were a Jedi," she told him.

Anakin raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Then let's go see him," he said.

"Come with me," she said, turning to exit the room.

Anakin followed her out the door and to the room just down the corridor. He entered the room behind her, his attention immediately drawn to the young man on the other side of the room. Anakin watched the young man as he spoke to Leia for a moment, his Force signature impossible to ignore. No, not just his: theirs. There was an unmistakable link between the two of them. Not only that, there was a familiarity to it. There was something else about the young man that struck him as soon as he'd laid eyes on him: he looked like him. The young man was roughly the same age as Anakin, and far smaller in stature from what he could tell; but the eyes, the same, sky blue eyes that Anakin saw every time he looked in the mirror, watched him with more than mere idle curiosity. _He can feel my Force signature, just as I can feel his, _Anakin realized. And then he knew who this young man was, who he had to be; _this is my son,_ Anakin thought in astonishment. _Padmé must be carrying twins. _He smiled at the realization, but then quickly pushed the thoughts from his mind. If these were his children, he mustn't let them know it. And it if they were as Force sensitive as he thought, they would be able to sense his feelings. Anakin thought of something Leia had told him earlier; she had a friend who was a Jedi, a friend who owned a lightsaber. _This has to be the one, _he thought. _My son must be the Jedi she spoke of. But what of her? Why isn't she a Jedi too? _

As for Luke, he had felt a tremor in the Force the moment Anakin had entered the room. There was no doubt that this man was a Jedi, but who was he? Luke found himself unnerved with the intensity with which Anakin was watching him with blue eyes that looked eerily familiar. _Who is this man? _Luke wondered, growing uneasy with the intensity of the man's stare.

Anakin walked over to Luke, their eyes locked, each unable to discern who the other was, but knowing intuitively that there was something very significant about the other.

Leia looked up, a strange feeling filling her as the two men looked at one another in silence. "Anakin, this is the friend I spoke of," she said at last. "Luke Skywalker."

Anakin nodded, doing his best not to react to the name, not taking his eyes from Luke's. "You're the Jedi Princess Leia told me about," he said to Luke.

Luke nodded. "I'm training to be one," he admitted. "I'm not really one yet."

"A padawan," Anakin commented, looking Luke over, taking in every detail of his son, just as he had of his daughter earlier. "Where is your braid?"

"My what?" Luke asked, the man's strange words only adding to his confusion.

"Padawans are supposed to have a braid," Anakin said, folding his arms over his chest. "I can't believe your master would let you get away with not having one. Who is your master, anyway?"

"Uh…..well, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi," Luke replied. "But now it's Master Yoda. He became my master after Obi-Wan was killed."

Anakin nodded, remembering the vision he'd had of Obi-Wan. "How did he die?" he asked.

A flash of anger rippled through Luke, alarming Anakin in its intensity. "He was killed by Darth Vader," he told him finally.

Anakin looked at Leia briefly at the mention of Vader's name. "I'm sorry to hear it," he said, the thought of his beloved friend being slain by the evil Darth Vader angering him as well. "I was hoping you could tell me something about this Darth Vader," he told Luke.

Luke frowned, and looked at Leia, feeling somewhat betrayed by her. "Why do you think I can tell you anything about him?" he asked finally.

"You have a connection with him," Anakin said. "He took your hand," he said, indicating Luke's artificial hand.

Luke looked at Leia again.

"I don't mean to upset you," Anakin said, sensing Luke's anxiety. "I'm trying to understand what's going on," he explained. "I…I seem to have lost my memory."

Luke didn't believe him, but didn't understand why he would lie. And yet, even so, he sensed that Anakin bore him no ill will, and felt that he could trust him. "Yeah, Leia told me," he replied. "I don't know a lot about Vader," he said at last, looking down at his hand.

"Will you tell me what you know?" Anakin asked. "Starting with how it is that he has a lightsaber?"

Luke looked up at Anakin, surprised by the question. "He used to be a Jedi," he told him. "He turned to the Dark Side of the Force when he decided to help the emperor destroy the Jedi."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Vader _destroyed _the Jedi??" he asked.

Luke nodded.

Anakin was silent for a moment as he digested this. And then he remembered what Obi-Wan had told him: somehow his actions had created this future. That meant that somehow he was responsible for this, it was his fault that the Jedi had been destroyed. But how?? What had happened on that day? What had he done to permit such a thing?

"I don't begin to understand any of this," Anakin said at last. "How did the Senate permit such a thing? Why did they stand by and allow the Jedi to be killed?"

"The Senate hasn't had any power for two decades," Leia told him. She studied him for a moment. "How is it that you remember some things but not others?"

Anakin looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you remember the Senate, but have no idea who Darth Vader is," she said. "And you remember the Jedi, but not their destruction."

"And how did you manage to escape the Purges if you're a Jedi?" Luke asked. "Come to think of it, how could you even have known the Jedi? You're no older than me."

Anakin could see that the pretext of having lost his memory was starting to wear thin; however he could not tell them the truth. He had no way of knowing what such knowledge could do to affect the future. Still, how much worse could the future be?

"I can't explain it," he told his children. "I…I know it's odd, but I can't explain it any better than that."

Luke and Leia looked at one another. Anakin's explanation was full of holes, explanations that made no sense. But yet, there was something about him that Luke and Leia trusted; something strangely familiar, something…reassuring.

"Leia says you're a Jedi," Luke said at last.

Anakin nodded. "That's right," he replied.

"Who trained you?" Luke asked.

Anakin hesitated for a moment. "Qui-Gon Jinn," he told him, deciding the truth would just be too confusing. "He died…when the Jedi were destroyed."

"How did you survive?" Leia asked. "Come to think of it, how can you possibly be old enough to even remember the Jedi? Like Luke said, you can't be any older than him, or me for that matter."

Anakin looked away, thinking frantically of a way to explain himself in a way that wouldn't make him look insane. _What if they knew he was from the past, without knowing who he was? Would that be alright?_

"The truth is, I'm here from the past," Anakin said at last. "Somehow I've been transported into the future. I know that sounds crazy, but it's the truth."

Luke and Leia were silent for a moment, Anakin's explanation shocking them.

"It does sound crazy," Leia said at last. "Impossible in fact."

"I know it must," Anakin admitted, looking down at his boots. "But it's true. You know yourself there are things about me that are…unusual."

"Yeah, you can say that again," Leia muttered.

"So if you're from the past, you must know what happened," Luke said. "Why do you need us to tell you? You were there; you saw it happen first hand."

Anakin looked up at his children, wondering if he ought to just tell them the truth; and yet, until he knew more about his actions on that day, he didn't dare. "When I left …my time, there was no emperor, and the Jedi Order was alive and well," he told them. "The Clone Wars were in full swing, and..."  
"You fought in the Clone Wars?" Luke interrupted.

Anakin nodded. "See my souvenir?" he said, pointing to the scar over his right eye.

Luke and Leia looked at the scar. "Looks like it was made by a lightsaber," Luke commented.

"It was," Anakin confirmed.

"So let me see if I get this straight," Leia said, seeing that Luke was starting to actually believe this man's outrageous story. "You claim to be a Jedi Knight transported here by some….magic…from the past. At least twenty years in the past. Is that what you expect us to believe?"

"I know it sounds insane," Anakin replied, "but…"

"But nothing," Leia interjected. "You _are _insane if you think we believe a word of this. If you ask me, you're some sort of Imperial spy," she said, growing angry.

"I'm no spy," Anakin told them. "You have to believe me!"

Luke frowned. "Vader sent you here, didn't he?" he asked. "He sent you here to come and talk to me about the Jedi, to try and get me to trust you."

Anakin sighed. "Luke, I hate Darth Vader as much as you do," he averred. "And as for being a spy, you couldn't be further from the truth."

"Then who are you?" Leia demanded. "The truth this time."

Anakin looked at his daughter, and then at his son. "The truth?"

Luke and Leia nodded simultaneously.

Anakin hesitated, not knowing what to say. At this point he noticed See Threepio and Artoo-Detoo approaching them. Artoo was whistling and beeping wildly.

Luke looked down at the little droid, puzzled by its strange behavior. "What is it, Artoo?" he asked. He looked up at Threepio for an explanation. "What's wrong with him?"

Threepio looked at the little droid, and then back up at Luke. "He just keeps repeating a name, sir."

"What name?" Leia asked.

"Anakin," Threepio replied. He looked at Anakin. "Is that you, sir?"

Anakin was shocked that his own creation didn't know him, and merely nodded.

Luke frowned, and looked at Leia, who looked as stunned as he was.

"How does Artoo know you?" Luke asked at last.

Anakin looked up at his son. "We were …friends," he replied. "We logged a lot of hours together in the Clone Wars," he continued. "Isn't that right, Artoo?" he asked, looking back at the droid.

Artoo beeped an enthusiastic affirmative, which needed no translation.

"So you _are _telling the truth," Luke said, looking at Anakin with amazement. "How else would he know you?"

Leia wasn't so convinced, though. She folded her eyes over her chest and looked at Anakin. "He must be malfunctioning," she said. "And obviously overheard us saying your name," she said to Anakin. "Threepio doesn't know you too, does he?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Anakin looked at her. "At one time he did," he said. "I…I don't know why he doesn't," he admitted.

Artoo beeped up, telling Anakin of how Threepio's memory had been erased. Anakin nodded in understanding, his ability to comprehend Artoo baffling Luke and Leia.

"You know what he said?" Luke asked. "Without a translation?"

Anakin nodded. "Of course," he replied. "He told me that Threepio had his memory erased," he said.

Leia looked at Threepio. "Is that what he said?" she asked.

"Yes your highness," Threepio reported. "Although I have no memory of such an occurrence myself," he added.

Anakin smirked at the comment, seeing that despite his memory loss, he was still indeed the same Threepio he knew.

Luke and Leia, however, were less than amused; they were far too dumbfounded to be anything but. Anakin looked at them, sensing how confused they were.

"Look, is there something I can do to prove myself to you?" he asked them. "Some way I can earn your trust?"

The twins looked at one another, an idea blossoming in Luke's mind.

"You can help us rescue our friend," Luke said. Leia shot him a hard look.

"What friend? What's happened to him?" Anakin asked, ignoring the look Leia was giving her brother.

"Han Solo," Luke said. "He was given to a bounty hunter by Darth Vader," he continued, "who was taking him to Jabba the Hutt to collect the bounty on him. He's been gone for two weeks now."

Anakin nodded. "He's on Tatooine," he said matter- of-factly.

"Yeah, that's right," Luke said. "You know that planet?"

Anakin decided to be more guarded, and simply nodded. "It won't be easy springing him from Jabba's lair," he began.

"But you're a Jedi, right?" Leia interjected.

Anakin looked at her. "Yes," he said simply. "I think we can do it. You have a lightsaber, don't you Luke?" he asked his son.

A look of pain flickered through Luke's eyes. "Not anymore," he said quietly. "I lost it when ….when Vader cut off my hand."

Anakin frowned, the thought of his son suffering so at the hands of the monster Vader angering him tremendously. "Then we'll have to build you a new one," he said. "My master once told me that a lightsaber is a Jedi's life," he told them with a smile.

Luke looked up at him. "Obi-Wan told me that," he said, a hint of a smile on his face.

Anakin smiled. "So Princess? Does this meet with your approval?"

Leia was silent for a moment as she thought about it. "You help us pull off our plan to free Han, and it will."

"Alright," Anakin said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What did you have in mind?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Six**

Tension was rife on board the _Executor._ Two weeks had passed since the Empire's latest encounter with the Rebel Alliance. Chasing the _Millennium Falcon_ across the galaxy, they had finally captured key members of the Rebel Alliance at the cloud city of Bespin, only to have them slip through their grasp yet again. Elaborate plans had been laid, seemingly inescapable traps had been set; and yet, somehow, the rebels had managed to escape. Somehow they had managed the impossible again. And somehow the search had to go on.

Darth Vader paced up and down on the bridge of the _Executor_, gloved hands clasped behind his back. Until Bespin, Vader's sole purpose had been to find Luke Skywalker. He was certain that once he revealed the truth, revealed that he was Luke's father, that the boy would join him happily, embracing the Dark Side without question. But that was not what had happened.

The rejection of his only son still stung, the hatred he saw in his child's eyes still made his heart ache, sending Vader into a depression the likes of which he'd not known since the death of his beloved Angel, his Padmé. When he had learned that their son lived, that a part of Padmé was out there somewhere, Vader had become obsessed almost to the point of madness to find him. And found him he had, luring him to the cloud city by nefarious, cold-blooded methods, not caring who he hurt, used or even killed to get to him. But when they finally met, things had not gone exactly as Vader had planned or hoped for.

No, Luke was stronger than Vader had anticipated, having received some rudimentary training from Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Not only that, Luke hated him with a passion that shocked Vader. Clearly the boy had been lied to about his father's identity, a suspicion that was confirmed when Luke had accused Vader of killing his father. And then, when the truth had come out, when Vader had revealed his identity as Luke's father, how had the boy reacted? _No, no…that's not true! That's IMPOSSBLE!!! _

_My only child hates me, _Vader reflected morosely as he stared out into the myriad of stars that separated him from his son. And yet, even though they were light years apart, he could _feel_ Luke. He had dreamed of him virtually every night since they'd met face to face, and he knew that Luke had dreamed of him as well. Despite the boy's vehement denial, his horror at hearing Vader's shocking declaration, Vader knew that Luke believed him. And that was the small shred of hope that kept Vader going. Somehow he would find a way to win Luke over; somehow he would show Luke the true nature of the Force. And together they would destroy the emperor, the Liar, the User, and rule the galaxy together.

"Lord Vader, the emperor is demanding that you make contact," Admiral Piett reported.

Vader turned to him. "Very well," he said. "I will contact him at once."

_Rebel Fleet _

Anakin looked at his daughter, unable to hide his disapproval.

"You can't be serious," he said at last, folding his arms over his chest. "Do you have any idea how females are treated in Jabba's palace?"

Leia frowned. "Give me a little credit," she retorted. "Lando will already be inside, and Chewbacca won't let them do anything. Besides, Luke will be there if things don't go as planned."

Anakin sighed. "Would you at least consider an alternative plan?" he asked.

"Yes we would," Luke spoke up before Leia had a chance. He hadn't liked Leia's idea from the start, but hadn't wanted to tell her so.

Anakin looked from Luke back to Leia and waited for her approval to continue. When she looked at him wordlessly, he spoke up.

"First of all, I think only Lando ought to infiltrate Jabba's lair," Anakin began. "Two would be suspicious."

"He's right," Luke said to Leia, who made no comment.

"Secondly, the thought of you going in there as a dancing girl really makes me uneasy," Anakin continued.

Leia frowned. "Why? What is it to you?"

Anakin hesitated for a moment before responding. It was difficult for him to remain detached, for these were his children he was dealing with. The thought of his daughter being the object of the lurid attention of the collection of scum in Jabba's palace was more than he could handle.

"I've had dealings with Jabba," Anakin said at last. "I know what sort of treatment you'd get."

"What sort of dealings?" Luke asked.

Anakin looked at his son, wondering if he dare reveal more details of his own life. And yet, it may gain their trust if he did so.

"I was a slave until I was nine years old," he told them at last. "And for a time I was owned by the wife of Jabba the Hutt."

Luke and Leia were both stunned by this revelation.

"I didn't know slavery still existed in the galaxy," Leia said at last.

"On Tatooine it does," Luke replied looking at his father. "I'm sorry…I had no idea. How did you manage to get away? I mean, how did you get to be a Jedi?"

Anakin smiled. "It's a long story, Luke," he told him. "And one we don't have time for right now. We need to focus on helping your friend, remember?"

Luke nodded, feeling more intrigued by this unusual man than ever.

"So what's your plan, then?" Leia spoke up.

"You need to get into Jabba's palace," he told her. "But you need to have the upper hand. You need to be in a position of power," he continued. "Being a dancing girl gives you no power. But if you have something he wants, that will give you the advantage."

Leia nodded. "That's right," she said as the wheels started to turn. "And we have something he wants, Luke," she said, looking at her twin. "Or should I say, someone."

Luke frowned. "Who?"

"Chewbacca," Leia said. "Han's partner."

Anakin nodded. "Is there a bounty on his head too?"

"Yes there is," Leia replied.

Anakin smiled. "Perfect," he said. "That gives me an idea."

_Super Star Destroyer Executor _

"What is they bidding, my master?"

Palpatine looked down at the holographic image of his faithful servant, sensing that something within Vader had changed. "Report," he snapped.

Vader braced himself for his master's anger. "I regret that I have…lost the rebels, my master," he said, looking down at the deck.

Palpatine frowned. "How did this happen?" he asked angrily.

"Repairs were made to their ship," Vader replied, "and before we were able to bring them in with the tractor beam, they escaped into hyperspace."

Palpatine was silent as he digested this, the anger fermenting dangerously within him. "And the boy?"

"Gone," Vader replied, unable to hide the sadness in his voice.

Palpatine scowled, his withered visage twisting in rage. "You weak fool," he hissed, "you let him get away??" He punctuated his accusation with a mighty burst of Sith lightning. Vader stumbled, and nearly fell under its lethal blast.

"Forgive me, my master," Vader said. "I have continued the search. I will find him, I swear it."

"Be sure that you do, Vader," Palpatine replied coldly. "I will not tolerate failure again."

Vader bowed low as the image faded out. Under his mask Vader frowned, as potent hatred filled him. The realization that Palpatine had lied to him about the manner in which his wife had died had been a bitter one, a life altering one. She had _not _died on Mustafar as Palpatine had told him, the fact that Luke existed proved that fact irrevocably. She had lived after Vader's attack at least long enough to give birth to his son. Vader clenched his eyes tightly, the image of his wife only adding to his agony. _Forgive me, beloved, _he prayed for what seemed to him to be the millionth time. There would be no forgiveness for Palpatine; no, only destruction. Vader vowed this as he rose slowly to his feet. _Luke __**will**__ join me, and together we will take from Palpatine what should have been ours, and rule the galaxy together. _

_Rebel Fleet_

Anakin, Luke and Leia had spent the better part of the day working out a plan that was satisfactory to all. It was decided that Chewbacca would remain at the rendezvous point for Leia while Lando infiltrated the unsavory community that lived under the auspices of Jabba the Hutt. No doubt it would take many weeks, perhaps even months for Lando to gain the gangster's trust. In that time, Leia would go to Tatooine with Luke and work with Chewbacca, planning their next move while she waited to hear from Lando.

As for Luke, he needed this time, for the anguish of what had happened at Bespin was still very present in his mind and his heart. He knew that he would never completely get past it, for he had been changed forever by Vader's disclosure to him there on the gantry. Luke had many unanswered questions, and was at a loss to know where to ask for the answers. Obi-Wan was gone now, his spectral image only appearing to him on occasion. He wondered how willingly the old Jedi Master would answer the burning questions that raged through Luke now that the truth was out. _Why did you lie to me, Ben? Why?? Why did you send me to kill my own father? Why didn't you tell me??_

Anakin could see that his son was in a fragile state, and that he would need some time to recover before he could face the challenges that lie ahead. Rescuing Han Solo was the least of their problems; the Empire, Vader, was still out there. And if Anakin knew the Sith, he knew them to be relentless. Luke needed his guidance, if not as a father, then as a full fledged Jedi Knight. Anakin had been afforded a rare opportunity to give help to his adult son, a son who had not even been born yet in his own time. Anakin was afraid for Luke, afraid that Vader was attempting to lure him to the Dark Side. No doubt he had seen the potential in the young man; no doubt he would make a powerful ally. _So why am I allowing this to happen? Where am I when all this is going on?? _

There were many questions that were starting to nag at Anakin the longer he spent with his children. But he was at a loss to know how to find the answers to them without raising his children's suspicions. He knew that he had to handle things very carefully from here on in.

It was quite late when Anakin and his twins retired for the night. Leia had insisted that she speak to the other rebel leaders about Anakin's plan, and so they decided that Luke and Anakin wouldn't leave for Tatooine for another day or so. Anakin was anxious to leave, anxious for answers. He still had no idea what his part was in all of this, how his actions had created a chain of events that had lead to this nightmare that was the Galactic Empire. It almost seemed impossible to him; how could the actions of one man have caused such a drastic transformation?

As he pulled off his tunic and lay back on the small bed, Anakin's thoughts turned to his wife. Even though it had only been a few days since he'd seen her, it seemed like weeks. He closed his eyes, the face of his beloved filling his mind. _I miss you, Angel, _he thought sadly. _If you knew where I was right now, you wouldn't believe it. _He smiled as he thought of how Padmé's surprise that she was carrying twins was no longer such a surprise. _Seems we're both right, doesn't it? _He reflected; _we have a son and a daughter. _Anakin frowned, a nagging sense of unease creeping into his heart as he considered his adult children. They didn't act like brother and sister; Leia didn't even carry his name. Where were their parents? How had they allowed Luke to be so abused and Leia to become so cynical?

Anakin sighed, rolling onto his side, part of him wishing he'd awaken and find that this had all be nothing but a strange dream.

"_Ani, Ani are you asleep?" _

"_Hmmm?"  
"Are you asleep?"_

"_Not any more," he yawned. "What's wrong? You okay?"_

"_Yes," she told him as he rolled over to face her. She propped herself up on one elbow. "I'm…hungry."_

"_Again?" he said with a smile. _

_Padmé said nothing, but threw a pillow squarely in his face._

_Anakin tossed the pillow to the end of the bed with a laugh as he rolled off of the bed. "Okay, what do you want?" he asked as he stretched tiredly. _

_Padmé thought for a moment. "A bowl of shurba fruit sorbet," she told him. _

_Anakin waited, knowing there would be more. _

"_With whipped cream on top."_

_Anakin nodded, yawning and running a hand through his tousled hair. "And?"_

"_That's it," she said. _

_Anakin smiled. "What else," he insisted. "I don't want to make more than one trip."_

_Padmé was about to protest, but realized that he was making a valid point. "Okay," she said. "Uh…some biscuits. Only a few, maybe…four."_

_Anakin nodded, knowing the drill well. "As you wish, Milady," he said, bowing to her deeply, making her giggle._

"_I love you!" she called to him as he headed off down to the kitchen. He knew his way in the dark well, having made this trip many times over the past few days since coming home to a rather pregnant wife. _

_Anakin smiled to himself as he opened the fridge. He was still so excited about becoming a father that he didn't mind these late night runs at all, even if it meant interrupted sleep. But sometimes that was a good thing; he'd decided…sleep was not always a good thing, not when bad dreams continued to plague him…_

Darth Vader awoke with a start. He pressed his gloved hands to his eyes, forcing the images of the dream from his mind. Two decades had passed since the death of his Angel, and yet the thought of her was still agony to him, memories of her and their life together like shards of glass in his mind. _Sleep was not always a good thing, _he told himself, lowering his helmet again; _not when dreams of her continued to plague him…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Seven**

"Let me see I understand this correctly," General Rieekan said, setting his tightly clasped hands on the table top. "You believe this Starkiller fellow to be trustworthy enough to let him go. Not only that," he continued, "he is going to help you rescue Commander Solo. Is that about right?"

Leia nodded. "He has abilities, powers that none of us can understand or explain," she began. "And those abilities are exactly what we need to pull off the sort of rescue we're planning."

"Are you suggesting that he's a Jedi?" Ackbar asked.

Leia looked down for a moment, not quite sure how to reply. "He says he is," she said. "He…he _is_ a Jedi," she averred. "I'm certain of it. So is Luke, and he should know."

Ackbar and Rieekan looked at one another. "How is that possible?" Ackbar asked. "The Jedi were wiped out years ago."

"The man is barely twenty years old from the look of him," Rieekan spoke up. "He's far too young to have even have been alive at the time of the purges. This man is delusional, Princess. How can you expect us to trust him?"

Leia sighed. "I know it sounds crazy," she admitted. "But I trust Anakin. I can't explain why, I just do. And from what I know about Jabba the Hutt, we're going to need all the help we can get to save Han." She stopped for a moment to steady her emotions. "Maybe we are taking a chance by placing our trust in Anakin," she continued. "But I think that Han is worth taking a chance for. He'd do the same for any one of us; he's done so already, again and again. So don't we owe him that much? Shouldn't we do all we can to save him, even it that entails trusting a man we barely know? A man who could probably do this single handedly if he needed to?"

The others looked at one another. The Princess was nothing if not determined. _A born politician, _Rieekan reflected.

"He will be your responsibility, Princess," Rieekan said at last. "Yours and Skywalker's. If this….Anakin Starkiller turns out to be a problem, he will be your problem to deal with. Is that understood?"

Leia nodded. "Perfectly," she replied, hoping that her faith in Anakin was not misplaced.

Luke zipped up his flight suit, happy to be out of bed. More than two weeks had passed since Bespin, and yet Luke still felt numb. He no longer doubted that Vader had told him the truth; he could feel the truth in the Dark Lord's words. What was more; Vader had contacted Luke telepathically more than once since that day. That perhaps more than anything was the most convincing proof of Vader's shocking claim. The ease with which Vader insinuated himself into Luke's mind both awed and frightened Luke. Clearly his father was very strong with the Force. _How can I possibly win the fight against someone so strong? _Luke wondered in anguish. _I'm no Jedi…not yet, not even close. _Luke had promised Yoda that he would return to Dagobah to continue his training; but when was that going to happen? Han's rescue was paramount; Leia needed his help to make it happen. _Maybe Anakin could show me a thing or two, _Luke mused. _He's a Jedi Knight, after all, _he reflected. _He fought in the Clone Wars…just like my father did...I wonder…_

The sound of the door chime interrupted Luke's ruminations. "Come in," he called.

The door opened to reveal none other than Anakin.

"Hi there, Luke," Anakin said in greeting. "You all set?"

"Hi," Luke said. "I think so," he told him. "Actually, I'm glad you're here before Leia," he said.

Anakin raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Why's that?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Luke replied.

"Go ahead," Anakin said.

"You said that you'd fought in the Clone Wars," Luke began. "And that you were a Jedi Knight."

"That's right," Anakin responded.

"Well, I was just wondering if you knew my father," Luke asked.

Luke's question froze Anakin to the ground. "Your father?"

Luke nodded. "He was a Jedi," he explained. "And he fought in the Clone Wars. I just thought that maybe you knew him."

Anakin's hesitation alarmed Luke, who had begun to regret asking at all. What could the man tell him, after all? His father was a monster.

"No, I'm afraid I don't," Anakin replied at last. "Sorry." A question had started to take form in Anakin's mind, one that would not be ignored. "Is he still a Jedi? Your father?" He stopped, growing alarmed as Luke turned away. "Did he…survive the Purges?" he asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"Sorry that took so long," Leia said as she entered the room, preventing the conversation from going any further. "You two all ready to go?"

Luke looked at Anakin, grateful that he'd been prevented from answering his question. "I think so," he replied.

Leia looked at Anakin next. "You?"

Anakin nodded. "Your commanders are letting me go with you?"

"It took some convincing, but I managed to get them to see things my way," Leia reported with a smile.

Anakin smiled. _Now who does that remind me of? _"I'm impressed," he replied.

"They told me that if you turned out to be a problem it would be my problem to deal with," she told him. "I guaranteed them that you wouldn't be one. Please don't make me a liar."

"You have my word as a Jedi that I will not be a problem, Princess," Anakin told her, extending her a courtly bow.

Leia couldn't help but smile. "Okay, then let's get going. Where are the droids?"

"I thought they were with you," Luke told her, picking up his haversack.

Leia rolled her eyes. "One of these days I'm going to permanently dismantle that Threepio," she grumbled as she stalked out the door.

Anakin grinned, and followed her with his son at his side.

_Super Star Destroyer Executor _

Admiral Piett stood nervously on the bridge, his eyes following the huge figure of his commanding officer. Piett was still astonished that he was still alive, that Vader had not killed him when the rebels had managed to jump into hyperspace just as the _Executor _was about to pull them in with a tractor beam. But somehow Piett had been spared, and no one was more surprised by that than the admiral himself.

Piett was one of the few officers who had the trust of the infamous Dark Lord. Vader had shown more confidence in Piett than any other officer, and perhaps it was for this reason that he had spared him. And yet, there seemed to be more to it than that; it was almost as though Vader was …preoccupied.

_What happened on Bespin? _Piett had asked himself again and again. Something definitely had happened, something that had changed the Dark Lord irrevocably. Vader had never been a jovial man; far from it. But since they had left Bespin, since they had lost the _Millennium Falcon_, Vader's moods had become more morose than ever. Piett would even venture to say that the Dark Lord was depressed, if such a thing were possible for a Sith. _What did Vader care enough about to create such a sense of despondency in him? _

"Report," Vader demanded, coming to stand in front of Piett.

"We've done our best to calculate every possible location, sir," Piett replied. "But it's a long shot at best. The ship…disappeared so quickly and suddenly that it was difficult to get a read on its trajectory."

Vader listened to the admiral's report, his own mood growing worse with each discouraging word. "Give me the bottom line, Piett," he replied shortly. "Do you have any idea where they went? Any idea at all?"

Piett shifted his eyes nervously. "Well, my lord, it's only been two weeks," he explained. "And with the numbers of possible destinations…we…"  
"It has been eighteen days," Vader snapped. "_More _than two weeks. I need answers, not excuses, Piett. Do I make myself clear?"

Piett swallowed hard. "Perfectly, sir," he replied nervously.

Vader then turned and left the bridge, leaving Piett to deal with the enormous task at hand.

_Tatooine _

_And I swore I'd never come back here. _The identical thought came to both father and son as they stood in the crowded Mos Eisley spaceport. It was just as they had remembered: loud, busy and smelly.

"Nice place," Leia quipped as she stood outside the vessel with Chewbacca, Luke and Anakin.

Luke looked at her. "Just wait until we get outside the city," he quipped. "It's a real pleasure trip."

Anakin was puzzled why his son was familiar with the planet while his daughter was not. Something was not right, he was certain of it. But what was it? What had he done that day to create this future?

"You've been to Tatooine before?" Anakin asked Luke as they left the spaceport.

"I grew up here," Luke responded.

Anakin frowned. "Did you?" he asked. "So…your parents are here then?"

Luke looked at Anakin quickly. "No," he said. "They're not."

Anakin could sense how uneasy this question made his son, which only added to his anxiety. Clearly something had happened, something dire, something dreadful…what that was Anakin hated to think. But the sooner he had answers, the better.

"Well let's get out of here," Leia suggested. "We need to find a place to stay," she added. "Though around here I'm not sure we'll find much around here," she lamented, looking around the crowded laneway they stood in.

"Where did you live when you were here, Luke?" Anakin asked.

"On a moisture farm," he replied. "What about you? You lived here too, right?"

Anakin nodded. "I lived in Mos Espa," he told his children. "In a tiny apartment with my mother. He looked at Leia. "There are bound to be some similar around here to rent," he told her. "Shall we have a look?"

"Lead the way," she suggested.

After spending the better part of the afternoon looking at flats, they finally found one that Leia could agree to. It wasn't much; just four small rooms, but they were furnished, and so it was enough to call a home base.

"I think we need to set about building you a lightsaber," Anakin told Luke as the four of them shared a meal that evening. "You're a Jedi, after all," he reminded him with a smile.

Luke smiled too. "Yeah, that's true," he agreed.

"Where are you going to find the materials to build a lightsaber?" Leia asked. "There haven't been Jedi in twenty years."

"That does present a problem," Anakin replied, a frown forming on his face.

"I have an idea," Luke spoke up. "Obi-Wan would have what we need."

"Obi-Wan is gone, Luke," Leia reminded him gently.

"Yeah, but I'm sure his house hasn't been touched since we left Tatooine," Luke replied.

Anakin listened, growing more confused by the moment. "Obi-Wan lived on Tatooine too?" he asked.

Luke nodded. "He came here to hide from the Empire I think," he said. "He was a friend of my father's," he added, his eyes reflecting the anguish that the thought of his father still caused within him.

Anakin frowned, becoming more and more convinced that something terrible had happened. "Your father must have felt his death keenly," he commented, watching his son closely for a reaction.

Luke looked up at him quickly, the irony of Anakin's comment too much for him. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?" he remarked bitterly.

Leia frowned, not understanding what it was that Luke was going through. There was something though; of that she was certain. And try as she might, she had been unable to get Luke to confide in her. _I suppose he'll tell me when he's ready, _she reflected.

As for Anakin, his son's comment had him completely bewildered. Had there been a falling out between him and Obi-Wan? Was that the source of the trouble he sensed?

"Well then perhaps we ought to go to Obi-Wan's home and see if we can find what we need," Anakin suggested. He looked out the window. "It's getting dark, though," he noticed. "If we're going, we'd better go soon."

"It's too dangerous with all the sand people out there," Luke reminded him. "They come out at night, you know."

Anakin nodded. "Yes, I know," he replied, a hardened expression in his eyes. "Very well, we'll leave first thing in the morning."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Eight **

Three weeks had passed since Darth Vader had lost his son. Three weeks of fruitless searching had ensued. And so far, there was no sign of Luke or any trace of the Rebels. What was worse, Vader was under almost constant scrutiny by the Emperor, who had he own reasons for finding Luke. Vader had begun to suspect that those reasons were duplicitous.

Traditionally there had always been only two Sith, a master and an apprentice. So if the emperor was so anxious to acquire Luke as an ally, where did that leave Vader? _He means to replace me with my own son, _Vader realized angrily; _he is using me to get to my son…_

Ever since Vader had realized that Palpatine had lied to him about the death of Padmé, he had begun to question everything, including the integrity of his master. Palpatine's entire rise to power had been achieved through nefarious, underhanded means. He used people to get what he wanted, even using the fourteen year old Queen Amidala to ensconce himself as senator of Naboo. _Only this time he won't win, this time it will be him who is used, him who is destroyed. _

_Tatooine _

The small apartment was quiet as its four occupants slept. Despite the noise of drunken laughter from the street below, everyone had managed to fall asleep in relatively short order, no doubt the fatigue of the long voyage having worn them out.

Leia had the luxury of having one of the small bedrooms to herself; but the three male members of the rescue team had to squeeze into the remaining room. Luke and Anakin had suggested that Chewbacca take the bed, since his great size would have taken up more than half the floor space. Chewbacca hadn't argued the point.

_Padmé is on a diagnostic bed, clad in a white hospital gown. Her face is bathed in sweat, contorted in pain. She is in labor, the pains of her contractions causing her to cry out in agony. _

"_Anakin, help me!" she cries desperately. I can't get to her, I can't even move. Her pain becomes my own as she writhes on the table. Suddenly Obi-Wan is at her side, taking her hand, comforting her as best he can. _

"_I can't…" she whispers, her strength waning. I don't know if she has given birth yet or not, all I know is that she is in trouble, and I am helpless to save her._

"_Padmé, hold on," Obi-Wan urges her. "Please try!"_

"_Anakin!" she cries out once more. She is dying…I know it now…my angel is dying and there's nothing I can do to stop it…._

Anakin awoke with a start, his heart racing in his chest. _No, not again,_ he lamented, sitting up. He ran his hands into his hair, doing his best to push the images from his mind. And then a thought struck him, one that made his blood run cold; _my dream came true…that's why Luke and Leia have lived such different lives…their mother died giving birth to them…_.

Anxiety and sorrow raged through Anakin as this thought consumed him; _my angel…my beautiful angel…no…no this can't be!! I can't let this happen! _Frustration and anguish filled him as he stood up and walked into the fresher. He bent to splash cold water on his face, his hands trembling with emotion. _I'm stuck here and Padmé is back there…she's alone…_No, that wasn't quite right; according to Obi-Wan time was being held in stasis while he was here. _So there's still time…still time to save her…I __**will**__ save her…_

"Anakin? You okay?"

Anakin turned around to see his son standing in the doorway.

"Yeah," Anakin lied. "I just had a bad dream," he explained.

Luke frowned. "What about?"

Anakin hesitated before responding. "My wife," he said at last.

Luke's eyes widened. "You have a wife?"

Anakin nodded.

"I didn't know that," he replied. "You must miss her."

"I do," Anakin replied softly. "Very much."

Luke nodded. "Well you'll be back with her soon, I'm sure," he replied, not knowing what else to say.

"I hope so," Anakin replied. "She's expecting a baby," he told Luke with a smile.

"That's great," Luke said with a smile. "So…your child must be alive in this time," he said, not realizing the irony of his statement. "Have you thought of that?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes I have," he replied.

"You must be curious to meet him, or her," Luke commented.

Anakin merely smiled in response. "Come on, let's get some sleep," he said. "It's a grueling trip to the Jundland Wastes if I recall."

Luke nodded. "Yeah it is," he replied. "I just hope we can find what we're looking for," he added as they both returned to the small bedroom.

"We will," Anakin said with confidence. "Obi-Wan was always very organized," he commented.

"You sound like you knew him," Luke commented.

"I did," Anakin replied. "Let's get to sleep," he added, admonishing himself for the slip up. "Goodnight Luke."

"Night Anakin," Luke replied. "Sweet dreams this time."

_Super Star Destroyer Executioner_

"_Lord Vader, can you hear me?"_

_I can hear him, but the sound of his voice I strange, as though I am hearing him through a tunnel. The pain fills me…but it is not as consuming as my worry for Padmé._

"_Yes my master," I manage to say, my own voice sounding mechanical and artificial. "Where is Padmé?" I ask him, my need to know all consuming. "Is she safe? Is she alright?" _

"_I'm afraid in your anger __**you**__ killed her."_

"_No…that's can't be…I felt her, she was alive!" I cry, my mind refusing to believe what he is telling me, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces as the realization of what I have done hits me full force. I did it…after doing everything to save her; I killed her…"No!!!" I scream the agony I feel beyond description, beyond belief…._

Vader awoke with a gasp, the images that had haunted him for twenty years revisiting him yet again. _But you lied, didn't you, my master? _He thought acrimoniously. _She didn't die at my hand- she lived to give birth to my son…_Vader covered his face with his gloved hands, trying to calm the shaking. _You will pay for that lie, I swear it, my master…you will pay for all the lies and all the manipulation…you will regret stealing my family from me, Sidious, I promise you. _

_Tatooine _

Anakin and Luke were up early the next morning. Thanks to Leia's resources, they were able to acquire a second hand speeder and some supplies. Luke had secretly hoped he'd be able to find the beloved speeder he'd been forced to sacrificed years earlier, but no such luck.

"Pretty nice," Anakin said as they got into the speeder. He looked over the controls, his hands itching to have a go at them. But Luke had slipped into the driver's seat, preventing Anakin from taking it. Anakin smiled, realizing just how much his son was like him. _We'll see how he handles it, _Anakin reflected, watching Luke as he familiarized himself with the vessel briefly.

"Here we go," Luke said as he started up the craft.

Anakin nodded, a sense of anticipation filling him as they started on their way.

"So what made you leave Tatooine?" Anakin asked as he and Luke sped their way out to the wastelands.

"It's kind of a long story," Luke replied. "I intercepted a message meant for Obi-Wan Kenobi from Princess Leia," he explained. "She was being held prisoner by Darth Vader on board the Death Star," he continued.

Anakin frowned. "Vader held her prisoner? Leia?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, she had stolen the schematics of the Death Star and.."

"What is a death star?" Anakin interjected.

Luke looked at him briefly. "Oh, yeah, sorry," he said. "It was a space station, a huge armored station with enough fire power to destroy an entire planet. The Empire was using it to scare the systems into doing whatever they wanted."

Anakin shook his head in disbelief. "That's monstrous," he commented.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, but we managed to use the plans to destroy it," he told Anakin.

"That's good to hear," Anakin replied. "So how did Leia get away?"

"Me and Han saved her," Luke told him, "along with Obi-Wan, who was killed while we were there. Darth Vader killed him."

"Yes, you told me," Anakin replied. "So…you only met Leia fairly recently then?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, when I found her in the detention block. She's my best friend now though; I feel like I've known her my whole life."

Anakin was silent; his own sense of uneasiness growing the more his son told him about his life. He felt for certain that Leia was his child, that she was Luke's twin; _so why had they only met recently? Why were they raised apart? Why did I allow them to be separated?? _He felt overwhelmed by the questions that ravaged his mind, by the anxiety that was growing with each day that he spent in this strange, disquieting future. He wanted more than anything to question Luke, to ask him about his parents; but something held him back. Was it that he simply didn't want to know? Was he so afraid of the truth that he couldn't bring himself to ask? Or was he afraid that Luke would guess the truth? Anakin had no idea how the course of history would be affected should Luke guess his true identity. _If it is the will of the Force, it will happen, _he told himself, smiling when he realized how much like Obi-Wan he sounded. _Obi-Wan, who was dead in this time, killed by the monster known as Darth Vader. _

"There it is," Luke said as they approached a small hut in the middle of the wastelands. "Obi-Wan's house."

Anakin nodded as his son slowed the craft down.

"The last time I was here was when Obi-Wan saved me from the Sand People," Luke told Anakin as he stopped outside of the small hut.

"You were attacked by them?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded. "They just wanted to rob me," he explained. "But I was scared, don't get me wrong."

"The sand people are vicious, mindless beasts," Anakin remarked tersely. "You were right to be scared."

Luke looked at Anakin, sensing that he'd had some dealing with the Tuskens himself. "Come on," he said, climbing out of the craft. "Let's see what's inside."

A wave of memories hit Luke as he and Anakin entered the small adobe hut. His throat constricted as he looked around, everything he saw reminding him of Obi-Wan. How well he remembered the day he'd been here, when he'd asked the old Jedi point blank what had happened to his father…

_How did my father die? _

_A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. _

Luke frowned. _Lies, all lies! _He thought angrily. _Why did you lie? Why didn't you just tell me the truth?? _

"Luke? You alright?"

Luke looked over at Anakin. "Yeah, sorry I was just…remembering."

Anakin nodded. "Come on," he said, "let's see what we can find."

Luke was not the only one who was emotional as he stood in the home of his former master; Anakin could feel the presence of Obi-Wan everywhere. He still did not understand how Obi-Wan had managed to survive the slaughter of the Jedi, or even why he'd chosen Tatooine as his hiding spot. Was he here to watch over Luke? Why was that necessary? And what of Leia?? A myriad of emotions were reflected in the meager belongings that the small hut still housed, and Anakin could feel them as keenly as though they had been his own. Loneliness, sorrow, guilt, regret…emotions he never would have associated with Obi-Wan were here in great abundance. This only added to Anakin's anxiety, making the knot in his stomach tighten more. _What the hell happened??_ He wondered; _was it the death of the Jedi that made him feel this way? Or was there more? Something more…personal? _

"This is where Obi-Wan kept the lightsaber he gave me," Luke told Anakin as he opened a small chest.

"The one you lost," Anakin said as he squatted down beside his son to look in the chest.

Luke nodded the subject still too painful to discuss. He dug around inside the box for a few moments before he realized he had no clue what to look for. He looked up at Anakin. "You've built a lightsaber before, right?"

"Yes, many of them," Anakin replied.

"Do you see anything in here that we could build one with?" Luke asked hopefully.

"Let's see," Anakin replied, as he commenced rummaging through the chest's contents.

Luke sat back and let Anakin take charge, reasoning that he knew what he was doing. _Why couldn't my father have been like him? _He thought morosely. _His child must be very lucky to have him as a father. _Luke frowned as he realized that it was highly likely that Anakin himself had not survived the purges, and the thought of this upset him more than he thought possible. In the short time he'd known Anakin he'd come to greatly admire the young Jedi. And yet, it was something more than mere admiration; he felt a strange, inexplicable connection to Anakin. Was it the Force? Did he feel connected to him because they were both strong with the Force?

"Looks like we're in luck," Anakin said as he began to pull items out of the chest.

Luke looked over at him. "Oh yeah?"

Anakin nodded as he set several items on the floor. He looked up at his son. "What color blade was your last one?" he asked.

"Blue," Luke replied.

Anakin nodded. "Afraid there are only green crystals," he informed Luke. "Looks like your new lightsaber will have a green blade."

"What's the difference?" Luke asked as he looked at the intriguing collection of items Anakin had lined up on the floor.

"The color is more of a personality thing than anything else," Anakin explained. "It doesn't affect the power of the blade."

"What does green mean?"

"Green is more…cerebral," Anakin replied, "whereas blue indicates that the user is more of a person of action."

"What about red?" Luke asked.

Anakin looked at him. "Red is the color of the Sith," he replied. He hesitated before continuing. "Is that the color Vader uses?"

Luke nodded.

Anakin frowned. "A Sith for sure," he muttered.

Luke frowned too, the image of Vader's red blade slicing through his wrist jumping to his mind unheeded.

"From what I know of the Sith, you were lucky to escape alive, Luke," Anakin told him.

Luke shrugged. "I guess so," he replied, not wanting to admit to Anakin that he had nearly committed suicide in his attempt to escape Vader. "So long will it take to build it?" he asked.

Anakin smiled. "Well it usually takes weeks," he replied. "But I've never been a patient man," he admitted.

Luke laughed. "Something else we have in common," he said.

Anakin nodded. _We have more in common than you know, Luke, _he thought to himself. "Come on," he said. "Let's get to it."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Nine**

_**A.N. I realize how much time passed between the end of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi; however for the purposes of this AU story, the elapsed time will be shortened in order to include some of the key events from ROTJ. I hope this doesn't unduly upset anyone. **__****___

Leia paced up and down in the small apartment, the heat stifling. Three days had passed since they had arrived at Mos Eisley, and there was no word yet from Lando. Not that she had expected to hear from him so soon; Leia realized it would take weeks before Lando would be in position. She realized that he was doing his best, but somehow that didn't make the waiting any easier.

_I miss you Han, _she thought miserably, fighting against the tears that were dangerously close to the surface. Leia had always prided herself on being tough, on being totally self reliant and strong. It had unnerved her to realize that she was in love with Han Solo; but no sooner had she come to grips with that astonishing turn of events then Han was stolen away from her. The sight of him manacled and helpless as he was lowered into the carbon freezing chamber was one she knew she'd never forget as long as she lived, and it was yet another image, another ordeal to fuel her nightmares.

Leia wasn't the only one suffering from Han's abduction; Chewbacca, one of the pilot's oldest friends, had not forgiven himself for allowing the storm troopers to take Han away the way they had. He felt that he owed Han a life debt, and felt he should have laid down his life in order to save Han's. Chewbacca was as anxious as Leia to hear from Lando, and with each day that passed without word, his anxiety and impatience grew. Both realized that they needed to focus on their plan in order to make the time pass, in order to keep from losing their minds with grief over the loss of the man they both loved.

_Jundland Wastes _

The work on Luke's new lightsaber was going slowly, far more slowly than Anakin was accustomed to. Anakin saw this as an unprecedented opportunity, however, and decided that he would rather take his time. After all, how often is a man afforded the chance to spend time with grown son twenty years before that son is born? And so Anakin took it slowly, in a way that would have made Obi-Wan proud, showing his son each step, explaining and teaching as he went along, encouraging Luke as he took the next steps towards becoming a full fledged Jedi Knight.

"The heart of any lightsaber is the crystal energy chamber," Anakin explained to his son as they sat cross legged on the floor. "It's responsible for primary energy conversion, and we use at least two crystals in the energy chamber."

Luke nodded as he carefully took the crystal from Anakin. He took a deep breath as he fit it into the chamber under the watchful eyes of his father.

"Good," Anakin said encouragingly. "You're doing very well, Luke," he added with a smile.

Luke looked up at Anakin, feeling proud that he'd earned the Jedi's praise. The three days they'd spent together had brought the two young men close, for they were finding that they shared many common interests and skills. But as much as he enjoyed his time with Anakin, he knew that it would not last forever; sooner or later he would return to his own time, and Luke would be left in this time to wrestle with the horrible truth of his paternity.

"Now this first crystal is the one that converts the energy from the power assembly," Anakin explained. "Then transfers its output to the focusing crystals."

"So is that next?" Luke asked. "The focusing crystals?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes, but that is the most critical part of the construction," he explained. "And the reason why all lightsabers are built by hand."

Luke frowned. "I don't understand," he said.

"Well you see it's imperative that you align the crystals perfectly," Anakin explained. "Because if you don't, you could end up blowing yourself sky high when you activate the weapon."

"Whoa," Luke said softly, looking down at the partially built weapon in his hands. "How do you do that?"

Anakin smiled. "Through the Force," he replied. "That's the only way to guarantee the proper alignment. That's why building a saber is usually only done in the latter stages of Jedi training."

Luke nodded his understanding, his admiration for Anakin growing by the minute. This was a Jedi, a _real Jedi. If only he could stay here forever_, Luke thought wistfully. _I still have so much to learn, and Anakin could teach me so much, he already has. _

"Come on," Anakin said. "Let's knock off for a while. I could use a break, what about you?"

"You bet," Luke agreed. "I'm all freaked out now that I'm gonna blow myself up," he added with a smile.

Anakin laughed. "You won't," he assured him. He looked at his son for a moment, paternal pride filling him. "The Force is very strong with you, Luke," he told him. "Don't forget that."

"I won't," Luke replied, heartened by the young man's words.

"So what did you do for fun when you lived here?" Anakin asked.

"Fun? Here?" Luke replied. "I thought you said you used to live here," he quipped.

Anakin laughed again. "Well, I was nine when I left, remember?" he replied. He thought for a moment. "I don't suppose they still have pod racing over at Boonta Eve," he remarked

"If they do, it's not legal," Luke replied.

Anakin raised his eyebrows. "Really? It's been outlawed?"

Luke nodded. "Did you go to races when you lived here?"

Anakin smiled. "I used to race in them, Luke," he replied.

Luke's eyes widened in amazement. "You did? You raced in the pod races?"  
Anakin nodded. "Yes I did," he replied. "Even won once," he remembered. "I was the only human ever to race," he added, seeing how impressed his son was.

"That is _so _cool," Luke declared. "You want to go see if there's a race this afternoon?"

"I thought you said they were illegal," Anakin remarked.

"I did," Luke replied with a smile.

Anakin laughed. "Luke, I like your style," he said clapping his hand on Luke's shoulder as they left the small hut.

Boonta Eve race track was crowded with beings of every creature imaginable when Luke and Anakin arrived. Luke had always wanted to go the pod races, but had never dared to. Uncle Owen had been very strict, and Luke had learned from an early age not to cross him.

"It's been a while since I've been here," Anakin said as they looked around. "But it hasn't changed a bit."

"I still can't believe you raced here," Luke said.

Anakin smiled. "I did, many times," he replied.

"And your parents let you?" Luke asked.

"Well, my mother wasn't happy about it," he replied. "In fact she hated it. But she didn't stop me."

"Does she still live here?" Luke asked. "I mean, I wonder…in this time… if there's a chance she might."

Anakin shook his head. "No, no chance at all," he replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Luke asked.

Anakin sighed. "She died a few years back," he told Luke. "When I was nineteen."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Luke replied, feeling awkward. "I had no idea."

"No, of course you didn't," Anakin replied. "Look, the race is about to start."

Father and son took their seats, the smells and sounds hearkening Anakin back to his childhood. He looked over at Luke, whose excitement was clear. Anakin smiled and thanked the living Force for giving him this remarkable chance to become friends with his adult son.

_Super Star Destroyer Executioner_

Darth Vader sat reading over the datapad on the desk before him. The Death Star II, much larger and more powerful than the first one, was nearing its completion. Until he'd been sent the encrypted message, Vader had known nothing about the Death Star. No, Grand Moff Jerjerrod had been made commander of this new station, just as Tarkin had been the first Death Star.

_It was so kind of the emperor to finally fill me in on these plans, _Vader thought bitterly as he clicked off the report. _Another slap in the face for my inability to find the Rebels…_

Vader stood up and walked over to the window, his mind in turmoil. It seemed to Vader as though the emperor was squeezing him out, finding others to do those duties which ought to have been his. _No wonder the old man is so anxious for me to find Luke…_Vader reflected darkly. _Only he won't win over the boy…I'll see to that. Luke is my flesh, my blood…all that I have left of Padmé, my precious Angel. _

Ever since Vader had first heard the name Luke Skywalker he'd dreamed of Padmé virtually every night. Dreaming over her was like torture to him now, for with the memories of her came the agony of Mustafar, the unthinkable moment of madness when he'd actually turned on her, on his Angel. Vader closed his eyes, using every ounce of self control he had to keep the image of her from his mind, knowing, however that it would inevitably come to him in his sleep when he was helpless to stop it.

The sound of the com interrupted Vader's ruminations and he walked back over to the desk. "What is it?" he demanded.

"My lord, the emperor is demanding for you to make contact," Piett reported.

Vader frowned under his mask. "Very well," he replied. "I shall do so at once."

_Tatooine _

"That was _amazing!" _Luke declared excitedly as he and Anakin made their way to the exit through the crowds. "I can't believe you actually raced one of those things!"

"Not only did I race them, I built them too," Anakin told him. "That was my favourite thing to do when I was a kid."  
"Building things?" Luke asked.

Anakin nodded.

"Me too," Luke told him with a smile. "I've always had a knack for fixing things too."

Anakin smiled. "Same here," he said as they approached their speeder.

Luke nodded as he looked up at the sky. "I hope we can get back before it gets dark," he remarked.

"Don't worry," Anakin said, climbing behind the controls of the speeder. "I have a reputation for being a speed demon," he assured his son with a smile.

Luke laughed as he slid in beside his father. "Good," he replied. "Here's your chance to prove it."

Despite Anakin's best efforts, it had grown dark before they reached the hut. As they approached, they saw a scattering of sand people loitering about, their banthas nearby.

"Great," Luke muttered. "Looks like we've got company."

Anakin nodded, his eyes fixed on the nomadic creatures as they turned to watch the speeder's approach. "Are you armed?" he asked Luke, not taking his eyes off of the raiders.

"I have my blaster," Luke replied.

"Be prepared," Anakin said. He looked at Luke briefly. "Here, take the controls," he said.

"Why? What are you…?" Luke started asking and then watched in astonishment as Anakin leapt from the speeder, his lightsaber springing to life as he did so. Luke brought the speeder to a halt and watched as Anakin approached the tuskens, who, upon seeing the lethal blade of his lightsaber, had started to back away.

"That's right, you'd better back off," Anakin warned them, brandishing his saber. "I'll slice every last one of you in two if you as much as look in my son's direction."

The tuskens, not known for their intelligence, attempted to surround Anakin, only to have two of them lose their gaffi sticks along with the hands that held them. They finally took the hint and ran off, clambering onto their banthas and riding off.

Anakin looked back at the speeder, where Luke sat in stunned amazement.

"You alright?" Anakin asked, clipping his weapon back onto his belt.

Luke nodded. "That was…incredible," he said.

Anakin smiled. "Not really," he said. "They were pretty easily scared off. Come on; let's get inside before they come back with reinforcements."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Ten**

As Luke removed his boots preparing for bed, he couldn't stop thinking about the encounter they'd had earlier with the sandpeople. It almost seemed that the tuskens were familiar with lightsabers, that they'd either seen one before or had heard stories about them. He knew that Obi-Wan used to frighten the tuskens off when they got too close, but he had usually used kayat dragon calls to scare them away. Luke remembered hearing stories when he was a boy, a story of a white ghost who had wiped out an entire Tusken village. According to the legend, the 'ghost' had used a stick that glowed like blue fire; could that have been a lightsaber? Luke had never believed the story himself; Uncle Owen had assured him that it wasn't true, that it was just a foolish rumor. But now, given the reaction the Tuskens had to seeing Anakin's lightsaber, Luke had to wonder if there wasn't some truth to it.

"Do you know anything about the white ghost?" Luke asked as he and Anakin bedded down for the night.

Anakin rolled onto his side and looked at Luke. "White ghost?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was a legend that was told by some of the kids I used to hang out with," Luke told him. "They said that a ghost armed with a stick of blue fire wiped out an entire village of sandpeople many years ago," he continued.

Anakin frowned, knowing exactly what Luke was talking about. "Do you believe that?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "Sounds kind of strange. I mean, why would anyone do such a thing?"

Anakin didn't reply, the thoughts of that night in the tusken village filling his mind. "It's not easy to understand the motivations of others, Luke," he said at last, rolling onto his back.

Luke was puzzled by his response, and didn't know what to say.

"So what is she like?"

Anakin looked back at his son. "Who?"

"Your wife," Luke replied. "It's pretty obvious that you miss her. Tell me about her."

Anakin's expression brightened at the thought of his wife. "She's brilliant," he began. "And beautiful. She's a senator, an amazing diplomat. She makes me laugh, she's so much fun to tease," he told Luke, his smile growing. "She's my angel," he finished softly.

Luke smiled. It was clear how much Anakin adored his wife. "How did you meet her?"

"We met in a junk shop here on Tatooine," Anakin told him. "I was nine, she was fourteen. "I asked her if she was an angel because she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen."

"What did she say?"

"She told me I was a strange boy," Anakin remembered with a smile.

Luke laughed. "You're lucky to have someone you love that much," he told Anakin.

Anakin nodded. "I know," he replied quietly. "I miss her."

"I'm sure you must," Luke replied.

"I have to get back to her," Anakin said, the desperation evident in his voice. "I'm worried about her."

"How do you do that?" Luke asked. "How do you get back to your own time?"

"The same way I got here, I suppose," Anakin replied. "Through the Force."

Luke nodded. "I wonder why the Force sent you here," he mused. "I mean, there must have been a reason you were sent here at this particular time, don't you think?"

Anakin was silent as he considered how to respond to this. "I suppose so," he replied finally.

"Maybe you're here to see what happened to the Jedi," Luke suggested. "Maybe…maybe you can prevent it from happening."

Anakin nodded. "I intend to try, Luke," he replied.

Luke began to think of what it would mean if Anakin succeeded; the Jedi Order would not have been destroyed, the emperor would never have gained control of the galaxy…_and my father…what about him? Was it possible that he could have been saved too? _

Luke turned back, about to ask Anakin another question when he saw that Anakin was asleep. Rolling onto his side, Luke closed his eyes and soon fell asleep too.

_Super Star Destroyer Executioner _

_**I am on Coruscant, in our home, sitting down with Padme at my side. She is glowing, radiant with her impending motherhood. She smiles as she takes my hand and places it on her round belly. Immediately I feel something…was that him? I ask her. She nods, her smile growing. The baby kicks again, stronger this time. Whoa! I exclaim. With a kick like that it must be a girl, I tease. Padme laughs. No, she says, running a hand over her belly lovingly. It's a boy, I just know it…**_

Vader woke up, his heart aching. How he wished he could do away with dreams, he thought fervently; _they only serve to torture me, to remind me of all that I have lost_. Yet, he wondered, was this her way of reaching out to me? Was she out there, somewhere, in the vastness of the Force, trying to be with me in the only way she can now? _No… why would she want to be with you now? She would hate you now, that is certain._

Vader sat up; astonished to find his face wet with tears that he had believed himself incapable of shedding. Yet, in his despondency, a glimmer of hope suddenly materialized, and he held on to it desperately. _My son…_Vader closed his eyes and reached out to him, searched for his luminous presence in the Force…it wasn't long before he found him. _He is asleep…_Vader realized at once. He reached out to the sleeping young man, trying his best to be gentle. _Luke…can you hear me my son? What is it that you dream of when you sleep? I can't tell you how many times you are in my dreams, my son …_

Luke's eyes snapped open, his heart beating quickly as he woke up. He sat up, the connection with Vader severed. Looking over at Anakin he was relieved to see that he was still asleep. He wasn't prepared to answer questions about his dreams, not now; having to tell Anakin that Vader was his father was more than Luke could deal with. He could only imagine how horrified Anakin would be And yet, perhaps he would have some insight into Vader's fall; how Anakin Skywalker had become Darth Vader.

Standing up, Luke decided that he needed some air, for the small hut was stuffy. He walked across the room, and then stopped; _what if the sand people had returned? _He thought. He turned back, and then in the dimness of the room spotted the glint of Anakin's lightsaber sitting on a small table beside their makeshift campsite. He walked over and picked it up, reasoning that Anakin wouldn't mind if he used it._ Better that than being attacked by tuskens, _he figured. Picking it up, he headed outside to get a breath of fresh air.

The stars above illuminated the Tatooine sky as Luke stood outside the small hut. There was no sign of the tuskens; obviously their encounter with Anakin earlier had scared them off for good. He looked down at the lightsaber in his hand, getting a good look at it for the first time. The brightness of the stars afforded him enough light to truly take in the details of it; and when he did, a cold feeling of anxiety started to fill him. _This is my lightsaber, _he thought; _this looks exactly like the one Obi-Wan gave me, the one he said was my father's…_

"Luke what are you doing out here?"

Anakin's voice startled Luke, and he dropped the weapon. Anakin bent and picked it up, looking up at Luke with surprise as he did so. "What are you doing with this?" he asked.

"I…I wanted some air," Luke stammered as a thousand questions raced through his mind. "I was afraid the sandpeople might have come back."

Anakin nodded as he watched his son. "Something is bothering you," he stated, sensing Luke's state of confusion. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Luke's eyes dropped to the lightsaber in Anakin's hands. "Where did you get that?" he asked.

Anakin frowned, glancing down at the weapon. "Where did I get it? I made it, you know that," he replied. "Why? What's wrong? You look like you've seen that white ghost you were talking about earlier," he stated, a hint of a smile on his face.

But Luke didn't smile. "That lightsaber, "he said, nodding in its direction, "is exactly like the one Obi-Wan gave me."

All traces of humor left Anakin's face at this disclosure. "Obi-Wan gave you a lightsaber? This lightsaber?" he asked.

Luke nodded.

"Why?" Anakin asked.

Luke looked back at the weapon. "He told me that my father wanted me to have it," he said quietly.

Anakin's heart was starting to race as he sensed that some dreadful truth was about to be unveiled. "Your father? You mean…he died?"

Luke looked up at Anakin as the realization started to hit him. There were far too many coincidences to ignore: the name, the fact that he knew Obi-Wan, the pod races, the fact that they had so much in common and even looked alike, and now this, the strongest piece of evidence yet. "Tell me the truth," Luke asked at last. "You're not Anakin Starkiller, are you?"

Anakin wondered if there was any point in denying it. "No, I'm not," he replied as last. "I'm Anakin Skywalker, your father."

Luke stood perfectly still as a thousand emotions raged through him, reflected in his eyes, his father's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked at last. "Why did you lie?"

Anakin sighed. "Let's go inside and talk about this, Luke," he replied.

Luke nodded, and followed his father back into the hut. He watched as Anakin activated a light and then turned to face him. "I know you must be very confused," he said finally. "But there is a reason I didn't tell you who I really am."

"You know, I'm happy that you're my father," Luke said, "but I'm so sick of the lies. Why has everyone lied to me?? Why?"

"Sit down Luke," Anakin said. He waited for his son to sit down before he did the same. "I didn't tell you the truth because I had no idea what would happen if you knew the truth," he said. "How it might affect the course of history."

Luke nodded. "I can see that," he admitted. He looked at Anakin, trying desperately to reconcile this remarkable man before him with the monster he had come to learn was his father. "I…I don't know how you can be my father," he said finally, looking at his hands clasped in his lap. "Not from what I know about my father."

Luke's words unnerved Anakin, as did the sense of confusion and anxiety Luke was feeling. He seemed consumed with conflicting emotions, his mind full of questions. Who had lied to him? And why? And what about?

"What do you know?" Anakin asked calmly. "I need to know."

Luke looked up at him, shaking his head. "I don't think you want to know," he said softly as his eyes filled with tears.

Anakin's own anxiety level was skyrocketing. "Tell me, Luke," he said. "I'm begging you!"

_How do I tell you? _Luke wondered in anguish; _how do I tell you that you become a monster? _

"You…you turned to the Dark Side," Luke said at last.

Anakin felt as though the very blood in his veins had turned to ice. He had to be mistaken, he simply had to be! "How? Why?? Who told you this?" he demanded.

"I don't know what made you do it," Luke replied. "All I know is you turned. It happened before I was born. Obi-Wan told me. He said that you were his pupil before you were seduced to the Dark Side."

Anakin was struggling to come to terms with this terrible news; the questions were bombarding his mind faster than he could consider them. "If I have turned to the Dark Side, then why are you being trained as a Jedi? Why would I allow it?" he asked, hoping against hope there was some mistake.

Luke shook his head. "You don't understand," he said. "I wasn't raised by you," he explained sadly. "I was told my parents died before I was born," he told Anakin.

_Padmé is dead, she truly is dead, _Anakin realized in anguish, _and my children were raised apart…because of me…_

"Your mother," he said, "you…you never knew her."

Luke shook his head. "No, I have no memory of her at all," he told him.

Anakin closed his eyes tightly as the tears filled them. "Padmé," he said softly, "my angel." He covered his face with his hands, the grief he felt overwhelming him.

Luke watched his father as he grieved, his heart aching. "I'm sorry," he said, the thought of having to tell Anakin the worst news yet making his heart sink.

"How did this happen?" Anakin asked, looking up at his son, tears streaming down his face.

"I don't know," Luke replied. "I wish I did," he added.

"Who raised you, Luke?" he asked, "and why were you raised apart from your sister?"

Luke frowned. "My sister??"

"Leia is your twin sister," Anakin told him. "Obviously the two of you were raised apart with no knowledge of the other. Why?? Who raised you? What did they tell you?"

Luke was shocked by this news, and yet it explained the connection he'd always felt with Leia. _She's my sister, _he thought in amazement. And then he realized something else: _Darth Vader is her father too…_

"I was raised by my Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru," Luke told him. "Here on Tatooine. Leia was raised on Alderaan by Bail Organa and his wife. Uncle Owen never wanted to talk about you," Luke told him. "He just told me you were a navigator on a spice freighter and that you'd died. It wasn't until I met Obi-Wan Kenobi that I found out you were a Jedi." Luke lowered his eyes. "He told me something else too," he added quietly. "Something that turned out to be a lie, a terrible lie."

Anakin frowned, having a hard time imagining Obi-Wan lying about anything. "What did he tell you?"

Luke looked up at his father, hating what he had to do, wishing with all he had that he didn't have to. "He told me that my father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader," he told him.

Anakin was confused by this point. "Vader killed me?" he asked, wiping the tears from his face with the back of one hand. "You mean I'm dead right now?"

Luke shook his head. "No," he replied softly. "I don't mean that at all. Vader didn't kill you; you…you _are _Vader."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Eleven**

Anakin stared at his son, his mind refusing to believe what he'd just heard. "No," he said at last. "No, that's not true…that's…impossible!" he cried.

Luke's eyes filled with tears again as he witnessed his father's horrible realization of his fate. "I didn't want to believe it either," he said. "When Vader told me I refused to believe it, I didn't want to believe it. But it's the truth; I know it is, I can feel it."

Anakin couldn't reply; it was as though his mind was shutting down, refusing to even consider that this could be so. And then he remembered the conversation he'd had with Leia back on the Rebel ship: _He's a monster, a heartless beast…He's done plenty to me, to people I love…He's a monster, Anakin. My friend Luke is right next door suffering from severe trauma because of Vader…_

"How?" Anakin said at last, his voice barely a whisper. "How did I allow such a thing to happen? How did I become such a monster, Luke? How??"

Luke didn't know what to say to his father at this point, for his own heart was aching as much as Anakin's was. "I don't know," he replied finally. "But I think I know one thing," he said.

"What is that?" Anakin asked.

"I think you're here to set things right," Luke replied. "You can see the future, you can change it now. Don't you see?"

Anakin nodded, a flicker of hope making its way through the mind numbing horror he was staggering under. "Yes, that's it," he said. "Obi-Wan came to me in a vision," he remembered, "when I first arrived here and told me the Force had sent me here to show me the affects of my actions."

Luke frowned. "What actions? What did you do?"

"I don't know," Anakin replied. "But considering what happened as a result, it must have been terrible, unimaginable. But why? What would motivate me to turn to the Dark Side?" Why…." He stopped as a thought came to him. "Oh no," he said softly.

"What?" Luke asked. "What is it?"

"I think I know why I turned to the Dark Side," Anakin said quietly. "And as it turned out, it was all for nothing."

"I don't understand," Luke replied.

Anakin sighed, running his hands through his hair. "The day your mother told me she was pregnant was the happiest day of my life," he began. "But that night I had a nightmare, a terrifying vision of the future." He looked at his son. "I saw your mother," he said. "She was in labour," he continued. "She was dying."

Luke frowned. "Mother died when Leia and I were born?" he asked quietly.

"I …I think so, yes," Anakin replied. "Despite everything I did to try and prevent it."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"I trusted a man, Luke," Anakin explained. "A man I had known since childhood, someone who befriended me and guided me, someone I considered a good friend. Somehow he knew about my dreams, even though I told no one. You see, Jedi were not allowed to be married, so we had to keep our marriage a secret, your mother and I. But somehow this man knew everything, including my nightmare about your mother dying. He told me that knowledge of the Dark Side would give me the power to save her, to prevent her from dying."

Luke was too stunned to reply for a moment. To think that Darth Vader, the most feared and hated man in the galaxy had become what he had out of love was almost too much to believe. "You believed him," Luke stated at last.

Anakin nodded. "I must have," he replied quietly. "When I left I knew he was a Sith…I knew and yet…" he stopped. "I was on my way to his office when I was brought here. I had just told the Jedi Council my suspicions about him, and they were on their way to arrest him. Only, something prevented them from doing so, because he became the emperor."

Luke's eyes widened at this. "Palpatine is the man you trusted??"

Anakin nodded. "He was not as he seems, Luke," he replied. "He appeared to be a kind, benevolent man, trusted and respected by a galaxy. Now I know what he truly was."

Anakin fell silent at this moment, the magnitude of what he had done too much to bear. Silent, hot tears rolled down his face as he stared vacantly into space, his heart aching with anguish. _ I threw everything away….I lost everything, everyone I love…and for what?? _

"I'm sorry, Father," Luke said softly.

Anakin looked at his son, his heart swelling with love and pride. "Luke," he said, "my son…I'm so sorry…"

Luke shook his head as he moved over to his father. "You haven't done anything," he said. "You're not Darth Vader; you're Anakin Skywalker, my father, the father I always dreamed of having."

Anakin held out his arms wordlessly to his son. Luke embraced his father tightly, both of them too emotional to speak for a moment.

"I will make things right, Luke," Anakin promised his son. "I swear it. Soon this nightmare you and Leia have been living in will be over, I promise."

Luke could only nod, the flood of emotions he'd held up tightly inside of him bursting forth at last as he wept in his father's steady embrace.

_Super Star Destroyer Executioner _

Darth Vader watched as the image of the Death Star materialized on the screen. He had only recently learned of its existence, and now here it was more than half completed. Vader was familiar with the officer who had been selected to command the mighty space station. Jerjerrod was one of thousands of technocrats who made up the Imperial navy. He was not an overly ambitious man, not actively seeking power as many of his contemporaries did, which made him the ideal candidate to command the new Death Star. Palpatine had seen the trouble caused by a power hungry, arrogant man like Tarkin, and was anxious to avoid another disaster such as the likes that had occurred at Yavin. Vader had tried to warn his master about Tarkin, but his warnings had not been appreciated, and so he had learned to keep them to himself. Jerjerrod was not going to be a problem in the way that Tarkin had been; however it seemed his competence might be.

The emperor had commanded the _Executor _to the Endor System, the site of the new Death Star. Apparently construction was weeks behind schedule, and Palpatine was not about to let it get out of control as it had with the first Death Star. And so he had decided to send his trusted apprentice to get the workers back on schedule, or, as Vader saw it, to clean up the mess.

"Lord Vader, we have established contact with the Death Star," Admiral Piett informed Vader.

"Tell them to expect me within the hour," Vader told Piett. "I want Jerjerrod there to meet me ready with an explanation," he added.

"I shall convey your message at once, sir," Piett replied, secretly wishing he could be there to see Jerjerrod's face when he did so.

_Tatooine _

Anakin and his son were silent for a time, both emotionally spent, both needing time to digest all that they had learned. Finally it was Luke who spoke first.

"Should we tell Leia?" he asked.

Anakin sighed. "I don't know," he replied. "She hates Darth Vader so much I'm afraid what it might do to her to learn that he is her father."

"Yeah, you have a point," Luke agreed. "What if we just told her that you're Anakin Skywalker and leave out the part about you becoming Darth Vader?"

"But that's lying to her, Luke," Anakin pointed out. "Don't you think?"

"Not if you change things so that Darth Vader never exists," Luke replied.

Anakin considered this for a moment. "I suppose you have a point," he admitted. He ran a hand through his hair. "I have so many questions," he told his son. "There's so much I don't understand, and I don't know where to get answers."

"I know," Luke replied. "Maybe Master Yoda could answer some of them."

"He's alive?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded. "He's living on Dagobah," he told his father. "I went there to be trained after Vader…I mean after Obi-Wan died."

A look of pain flitted over Anakin's face. "I killed Obi-Wan," he said softly. "I killed my best friend, my brother, the closest thing I ever had to a father…how could I, Luke? What happened to me that I could do such a thing?"

"You were lied to; you were tricked and taken advantage of, Anakin."

Anakin and Luke turned to see Obi-Wan's spectral image standing behind them.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, his tears starting anew. "What have I done?? How could this have happened?"

Obi-Wan looked upon his friend with a sad, benevolent smile. "You haven't done anything yet, Anakin," he reminded him. "That is why you are here, remember? To learn and remember."

Anakin nodded. "I know," he replied. "But if I don't know how this happened to me, then how can I prevent it from happening?"

"Surely you can tell us something about what happened, Ben," Luke put in. "You were there, after all."

"Yes, I was," Obi-Wan admitted. "For some of it. But I'm afraid some of it remains a mystery to me as well. We were separated, if you will remember, Anakin," he said. "I was sent to capture General Grievous while you remained on Coruscant. Something transpired during that time, a transformation that I had no knowledge of until I saw you again. And by then it was too late, you had already gone too far to the Dark Side that I no one could bring you back, not even Padmé."

Anakin's sense of anguish was morphing into terror as he listened to Obi-Wan's narrative. "What do you mean, not even Padmé?" he asked slowly. "Please tell me I didn't hurt her…I couldn't have! There's nothing in the galaxy that would have made me hurt her!"

Obi-Wan sat down, a look of profound sadness passing over his aged features. "Sit down, Anakin," he said. "This isn't going to be easy to hear, but hear it you must I'm afraid."

Anakin and Luke exchanged an equally alarmed look and then sat down, waiting for Obi-Wan to begin. After taking a few moments to gather his thoughts, he did so.

"The day you left to come into the future was the darkest day in the history of the Jedi," he began. "It was the start of the Jedi Purges, the end of the Jedi Order. Palpatine took control of the clone army and ordered all of the command units to kill all the Jedi in every part of the galaxy. You yourself, Anakin, lead a squadron of some hundreds of clones to the Jedi temple, where you slaughtered every last Jedi, including, I'm afraid, all the younglings."

Anakin's hands were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white. What Obi-Wan was telling him was more horrific than even he could have imagined. "How do you know this?" he asked at last.

"The security holos," Obi-Wan told him. "Yoda and I were the only two to survive the slaughter, the only two left to try and stop Palpatine and his apprentice, Darth Vader."

"But you didn't stop them," Luke stated. "Vader is still very much alive and so is the emperor."

"No, Master Yoda did his best to defeat the emperor, but in the end he wasn't strong enough," Obi-Wan said. "While I went to do my best to stop Vader."

"You mean…we fought? You and me?" Anakin asked in horror.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm afraid so," he replied. "I didn't know where to find you, so I went to the one person I knew would be able to tell me. Padmé."

"You went to her? You told her what I had done??" Anakin asked.

"I had no choice, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied. "You had become extremely dangerous and had to be stopped. It was up to me to stop you, or at least try."

"I can't believe my mother would tell you where he was," Luke spoke up. "Even if she knew."

"Oh she knew," Obi-Wan told them. "And no, she didn't tell me. She refused to believe anything I told her, and claimed she didn't know where you were. I knew better, and so I waited until she went to you, as I knew she would, and snuck on board her ship. As it turned out, that was a rather poor choice on my part," he admitted with a frown.

"Why do you say that?" Anakin demanded. "What happened?"

Obi-Wan almost winced at the thought of having to tell Anakin what happened, but knew that he must in order for Anakin to have a full picture of what had happened. "When we arrived at Mustafar, Padmé left the ship immediately. I waited for a few minutes, not wanting to startle her. But before long I sensed such tremendous anger coming from you that I felt compelled to investigate. And when I did…" he stopped, casting his eyes down to the floor.

"What?? What happened?" Anakin demanded. "Tell me!"

Obi-Wan looked up at him, the sadness in his eyes more profound than Anakin had ever seen in all the years he'd known Obi-Wan. "You attacked her, Anakin," he said quietly. "When you saw me you thought that she'd brought me there to kill you, and you reached out with the Force and started to choke her. If I hadn't stopped you….I hate to think what might have happened."

Anakin wasn't able to respond at this point, the horror and self-loathing he felt at this point was overwhelming him, making him nauseous. He listened numbly as Obi-Wan told of the horrible fight that ensued, of how he had been mutilated and left to die in a ball of flame. Luke was crying quietly by this point, one hand covering his face, as he tried to imagine the horror of what his father had endured, the heart break his mother must have suffered.

The silence that ensued at the conclusion of Obi-Wan's tragic narrative was heavy and oppressive. Emotions raged through all three of the men in varying degrees. Anakin was unable to look at either Obi-Wan or Luke; for while he had not yet actually committed those atrocities, the knowledge that he was capable of doing so had rendered him humbled and ashamed.

"I….I can't deal with this," he said at last, rising slowly to his feet. "I need to be alone," he added, his voice tremulous with barely restrained emotion.

"Father, no," Luke said, standing up too.

Anakin looked back at his son. "No Luke," he said, holding up his hand. "I need to be alone, please," he pleaded. "Stay here."

Luke nodded, and watched as Anakin left the hut. He sat down again, dropping his face into his hands.

"He'll get through this, Luke," Obi-Wan assured him. "Your father is strong. This will only make him stronger."

Luke looked up at the old Jedi, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I hope so, Ben," he said softly. "He can change all this, though, can't he?" he asked desperately.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes he can," he replied. "He has the ability to rewrite the future. I only hope that when it comes down to it, he chooses the right path this time."

"He has to, Ben," Luke stated emphatically. "He just has to. Now that I've met him, now that I've got to know him, I need him, Ben. I need my father. I can't go back to the way things were, not now, not knowing what an amazing man Anakin Skywalker was. I need him in my life."

Obi-Wan smiled. "The Force has sent him here, Luke," he reminded the young man. "And the Force never does anything without a good reason. Remember that."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Twelve **

Anakin wiped the tears away with the back of one hand as his other grasped the steering mechanism tightly. He was heading out into the desert, not even sure where he was going. All he knew was that he had to get away, to be alone. He wasn't sure of anything at this point; everything seemed to be out of his control, beyond his ability to deal with. _I can't let this happen….I can't let my angel die…I can't let my children be separated and raised apart….I can't let the Jedi be destroyed…._

He ended up at the old homestead where Owen and Beru had once lived. It was but a shell of charred rubble now, and Anakin had to wonder if Vader had been responsible for that too. _Owen and Beru are dead…_he felt certain of it as he slowed the speeder. _Even Luke's foster parents were taken away from him,_ he realized with a stab of anguish. _How did my son turn out so good and kind when he has endured such disappointment and pain all his life? _

Anakin stopped the speeder and got out, walking around behind the homestead. It had been more than twenty years, but he hoped to find it, needed to find it. He wandered around, desperate to find it, his frustration and anguish growing with each step he took. Finally he gave up, and fell to his knees in a gesture of defeat.

"Mom, I know you're here somewhere," he cried. "I need you, Mom! I failed, even though I promised you I never would again; I failed at everything. Everything!" He dropped his face into his hands, the weight of his shame crushing him.

"Ani, my poor Ani…"

Anakin thought he heard a voice, but reasoned it was only the wind. But when he felt a hand softly stroking his hair, he looked up at once. His eyes widened in amazement when he beheld who stood before him.

"Mom?" he asked incredulously. "Mom??"

Shmi smiled. "Yes Anakin, it's me," she assured him. "Or at least the essence of who I was."

"How can this be?" Anakin asked, reaching out to her. "I don't understand!"

"The same way you were brought forward twenty years," she told him. "The Force sent you here, and now it has sent me to you."

Anakin smiled the joy of seeing his beloved mother again after so long filling him utterly. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. Shmi stroked his hair, comforting him with her gentle presence.

"You haven't failed me, Anakin," she said to him at last. "Not at all."

Anakin looked up at her. "How can you say that?" he asked her. "You know what I've done, what I became! I destroyed everything!"

Shmi shook her head. "No, you haven't," she said. "You haven't done any of those things, Ani. And now that you have seen the future, you won't. I'm certain of it."

"I don't know, Mom," he replied. "What if I make the same mistakes all over again? How will I know what decisions are the ones that lead to this future?"

Shmi smiled. "You must trust that you will, Anakin. I have faith in you, your son has faith in you, and now you must have that same faith in yourself. I'm here, Anakin; isn't that proof that anything is possible? Even what seems right now to be impossible?"

Anakin nodded as he considered her words. She had always known just what to say to allay his fears and bolster his confidence. "I've missed you Mom," he told her softly as his tears began anew. "So much!"

_Death Star II – Endor Moon _

Darth Vader walked down the ramp of the shuttle, noting immediately the waves of panic and fear that emanated from officers who stood at attention on the hangar deck. Jerjerrod stood in front of the group, trying desperately not to appear as nervous as he felt. He smiled when Vader appeared before him as perspiration ran in rivulets down his back.

"Lord Vader, this is an unexpected pleasure!" he gushed. "We are honored by your presence!"

Vader waved a gloved hand at him dismissively. "You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander," he snapped as he strode through the hangar. "I'm here to put you back on schedule."

"I assure you, Lord Vader, my men are working as fast as they can," Jerjerrod had the audacity to remark as he hurried to keep pace with the Dark Lord.

This angered Vader. "Then perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them," he returned without stopping.

"I tell you, this station will be operational as planned," Jerjerrod declared, stopping and facing Vader.

"The emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation," Vader informed him.

"But he asks the impossible!" Jerjerrod whined. "I need more men!"  
"Then perhaps you can tell him when he arrives," Vader remarked, enjoying the sharp intake of breath he heard coming from the nervous officer.

"The emperor's coming _here_?"

"That is correct Commander," Vader replied. "And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress."

"Then we shall double our efforts," Jerjerrod decided with an uneasy smile.

"I hope so, Commander, for your sake," Vader retorted. "The emperor is not as forgiving as I am."

With that Vader strode away, leaving Jerjerrod shaken and rather pale. _Idiot, _he thought in annoyance. _Is it any wonder construction is behind with the likes of him in charge?_

Vader had just boarded the turbo lift, mentally sorting out the myriad of tasks he had facing him, when the image of his mother suddenly entered his mind. It was so clear, so vivid that he had to brace himself against the wall of the turbolift for a moment. It had been many years since he had allowed himself to think of his mother; her death was still a painful scar, one of many that he'd learned to endure over the years. So why was she springing to his mind now? Was she trying to communicate with him somehow?

"Lord Vader," an officer said in greeting as he entered the lift. Vader nodded briefly in response and forced the image from his mind, determined to focus on his duties and nothing else.

_Tatooine _

Anakin returned to the home of Obi-Wan, the mystical experience he'd had in the desert having strengthened him. His mother had always been a source of strength for him, he reflected; the day she'd died had been the darkest of his life. Anakin frowned as he parked the speeder as a realization came to him, one he had not had reason to consider until recent events had unfolded. He looked over to see his son standing in the door way, a look of relief on his face as he saw his father returning.

"I'm glad you're back," Luke said as Anakin reached the doorway. "Are you alright?"

Anakin nodded. "I will be," he said. "I…I had a very unusual experience just now," he told his son.

"What happened?" Luke asked as they walked into the hut.

"I was visited by my mother," Anakin replied. "She appeared to me, Luke. I saw her as clearly as I'm seeing you right now."

Luke's eyes widened. "You saw her? My grandmother?"

"Yes," Anakin replied softly as he sat down. "It was wonderful to see her," he added with a smile. "And just what I needed too. She always knew just what to say to make me feel better."

"I wish I'd been able to meet her," Luke said. "You never told me how she died."

A hardened expression entered Anakin's eyes as he recalled that horrible night when he'd found his mother near death in the tusken encampment.

"She was captured by tusken raiders," Anakin told his son quietly. "They kept her prisoner for a month before I was able to get to her. They'd tortured her, Luke; just for sport, just for entertainment. She died in my arms."

Luke was silent as he digested this, the anger and pain emanating from his father startling him in their intensity. And then he realized something. "You're the white ghost, aren't you?" he asked.

Anakin looked at his son and nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I killed them all, Luke; every last one of them. I didn't discriminate between male or female, adult or child. I wanted to make them all pay for what they had done to my mother." He stopped, sensing his son's shock, and lowered his eyes. "That was the darkest moment of my life, Luke," he said quietly. "And knowing what I know now, perhaps it was that moment that sealed my fate."

Luke frowned. "You mean…the path to the Dark Side?" he asked.

Anakin nodded. "Yes," he replied softly. "I have never felt such anger, Luke; such blind rage. Anger is the fastest road to the Dark Side…only I didn't see it like that. All I saw was my need for revenge." He stopped and shook his head. "And as it turned out, that was only the beginning," he added.

Luke didn't know how to respond to such an admission, for he himself was still shocked to know that his own father was the legendary white ghost who he'd heard of as a child.

"But now you know," Luke said at last. "Right? You know now, you know what happens. And you'll be able to prevent it."

Anakin looked up at his son, the faith he had in him was more than he felt he deserved. He smiled. "If it means that the four of us can be a family, then yes, I can. I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen, Luke, I promise you."

Luke smiled. "I know you will," he replied. "I'm sure of it," he added. "Leia contacted me while you were gone," he told his father. "She heard from Lando."

"Is he ready?" Anakin asked.

"He said to give him another week and then send the droids," Luke told him.

"Okay," Anakin replied. "I guess we'd better get that lightsaber finished then, shouldn't we?"

Luke nodded. "I guess we should," he agreed.

Anakin smiled and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Let's get to it then," he said.

_Death Star II- Endor System _

_Idiots…imbeciles…I am surrounded by them constantly…_Vader quickly surmised why the construction of the Death Star was behind schedule. It was his considered opinion that there was a crew of incompetent fools engaged in its assembly. _When Jerjerrod said he needed more men, he ought to have said he needed more men with brains in their heads…_he mused darkly as he strode through the corridors of the mighty station.

Vader's own skills at fixing mechanical gadgets had come in handy, for he'd found many an instrument malfunctioning due to the sheer ignorance of the _craftsmen_ using them. He was sure to make examples of more than a few men, their deaths going a long way towards increasing productivity. It was a job that Vader was accustomed to, and one he did well. And yet, at the back of his mind, thoughts of his son were never far off.

There had been rumors recently of a huge armada gathering in the Sullust System. Vader had suspected that the Rebel Alliance was mounting a massive offensive; it was really only a matter of time before they did so. Yet, the rebels' plans didn't really interest Vader. It was his son he wanted – nothing else mattered to him at this point. He would deal with the rebels eventually, as he would deal with the emperor. But he needed Luke at his side to do so.

Memories of Bespin had haunted Vader for weeks, memories of the hatred in his son's eyes. _He told me __**you **__killed him!! …No, no…that's not true…that's impossible!! _The pain of his son's rejection still stung, the possibility that Luke would never join him still kept him awake at nights. The thought that the child that he had created with his beloved Padmé was out there somewhere and wanted nothing to do with him was far more painful to him than the horrors he had suffered on Mustafar twenty years earlier. _He will join me, I know he will…he knows the truth, he can feel it now…soon, my son, soon we will be together._

_Tatooine _

Anakin and Luke had spent the rest of the day working on Luke's new lightsaber. It didn't take Anakin long to realize that his son shared his knack for building things, as well as his inability to take anything slowly. Anakin had to smile when he considered how frustrated an elderly Obi-Wan must have been training another Skywalker who was as impatient and impulsive as his father.

"I told Leia we'd come into town tomorrow," Luke told his father as they ate a late dinner.

"Good idea," Anakin replied. "I don't like the thought of her in that place," he added.

"Chewie won't let anything happen to her," Luke assured him.

"That's true," Anakin concurred. "Still, I miss her," he told Luke.

"Me too," Luke replied. "Have you thought about what you want to tell her?"

"I don't think we should tell her everything," Anakin replied. "We don't want to overwhelm her."

"No," Luke agreed. "But I think she ought to know that you're her father and that I'm her brother. I feel like we're leaving her out. Does that sound stupid?"

Anakin smiled. "No, not at all," he replied. "You love your sister; you want her to be a part of this. That's only natural."

Luke smiled. "I still can't get over that she's my sister," he remarked. "Even though I've always felt a connection to her…it's not really surprising that she is. Did you know that our mother was having twins?"

"No, she kept it secret," Anakin replied. "I think she wanted to surprise me," he added with a smile. He thought of Padmé, smiling as he tried to imagine how excited she must have been to find out that she was carrying two babies, not just one. "I'll have to pretend to be surprised when she finally does tell me," he said at last.

Luke laughed. "Good luck with that," he remarked.

Anakin laughed too. "I can't wait to see her again," he told Luke.

Luke nodded. "I can't wait to meet her," he said.

Anakin smiled. "She's going to be a wonderful mother," he told his son.

"Just like you'll be a wonderful father," Luke replied. "You are already."

Anakin smiled, moved by his son's words. "Thank you, Luke," he said softly. "That means a lot to me that you think so."

Luke smiled, and picked up the lightsaber that was nearly complete. "So how many of these did you build when you were a padawan?" he asked.

"I lost count," Anakin told him as he unrolled his sleeping bag.

Luke laughed and set the lightsaber down to do the same.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Thirteen**

_**I bring my blade up and slice through his wrist, sensing his agony even before I hear his scream. **_

"_**There is no escape," I tell him grimly as he backs out onto the ledge, a mere 20 centimeters in width. He cradles his injured arm, glaring up at me, the hatred burning in his eyes. "Don't make me destroy you. Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy!"**_

"_**I'll never join you!!!" he spits back at me. **_

"_**If you only knew the power of the Dark Side," I reply. Time to claim him as my own…time for total truth...**_

"_**Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father," I continue. The mention of his father intensifies his anger. **_

"_**He told me enough!" he shouts back. "He told me you killed him!!"**_

"_**No, I am your father," I say simply. **_

_**A thousand emotions flash through my son's mind, reflected in his eyes. Disbelief, confusion, betrayal, horror, anger….yet the intensity of his reaction tells me that on some level he knows…**_

"_**No, no…" he cries, "that's not true!!! That's impossible!!" **_

"_**Search your feelings, you know it to be true!" I retort, challenging him to look inside himself, to face what he already knows to be the truth. **_

"_**NO, NO!!" cries Luke in agony. **_

"_**Luke, you can destroy the emperor, he has foreseen this, it is your destiny! Join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son!" I hold out my hand to him, inviting him.**_

_**Luke looks down at the gaping chasm below him, looks around, and I know he is weighing his options. Finally he looks back at me, expectantly. **_

"_**Come with me," I say, reaching out to him once again. "It is the only way."**_

_**Making sure I am watching, he lets go and falls. He wants me to know that he chooses death, of that I am certain; I can see it in his eyes just before he plummets. **_

Anakin woke up with a gasp, sitting bold upright. He was sweating profusely, his heart racing. _What was that?? _he wondered anxiously as he ran his hands through his hair. He didn't recognize the location of the dream; it was some sort of catwalk suspended high above a deep, possibly bottomless chasm. Luke was there, but not the Luke he knew. This young man was full of anger, resentment and even hatred. He had been beaten and battered almost beyond recognition, the exhaustion and pain clear in his face. And then Anakin realized what it was he had seen. The horror washed over him, leaving him shaking and cold. He looked at his son who was still asleep, a wave of tremendous protectiveness washing over him. _That was me who did that….no, not me….Vader…._

Anakin stood up, trying to understand what had just happened. Was it merely a dream that he'd just had? Or was there more to it? Were those actual events that he'd witnessed, or rather, relived? _But I wasn't there…how could I relive what I never experienced? Unless…_ Anakin shuddered as he felt himself grow cold. The thought of what was happening was too horrible to consider; and yet, given the incredible circumstances he found himself in, it was more than possible. _Vader's thoughts are invading my mind…his memories are becoming mine…_

"Dad? You okay?"

Anakin turned and looked at Luke who was sitting up looking at him with a look of concern on his face.

"Luke, tell me about your encounter with Vader," Anakin said, kneeling down at the end of his son's bed roll.

Luke was startled by his father's request, and more than a little reticent about reliving it.

"Why are you asking about that?" Luke asked finally.

"I need to know," Anakin replied. "Please, I know how painful it was for you, how painful it still is. But it's very important, Luke. I wouldn't ask otherwise."

Luke nodded, seeing how important this was to his father.

"Han, Leia and Chewie were being held prisoner on Bespin by Vader," Luke began. "And I knew that they were in trouble. As it turned out, Vader used them to get me to come, knowing that I would sense their pain and come to help them. He had it all set up, and was waiting for me when I got there."

Anakin frowned. "He used your sister's pain to get to you," he commented bitterly.

Luke nodded. "I'm not sure, but I don't think Vader knows Leia is my sister."

"How is that possible?" Anakin asked. "I knew the moment I saw her she was my daughter."

Luke shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "But I think it's better that he doesn't know."

"Yes, that's true," Anakin agreed. "So what happened when you arrived at Bespin?"

Luke sighed as he recalled the moment he'd come face to face with Vader for the first time. "You remember how we told you that Han had been frozen in carbonite by Vader?"

Anakin nodded.

"Well Vader was hoping to do the same thing to me," Luke explained. "He was waiting for me in the carbon freezing chamber." Luke paused as he gathered his nerve to continue with his narrative, realizing that this was the first time he'd told anyone what had happened. Somehow the fact that his father was hearing it seemed fitting.

Anakin listened to Luke as he related the horrifying battle that had ensued between him and Vader. Emotions raged through him as Luke described the duel. Was it any wonder Luke was so traumatized after what he'd endured?? Who wouldn't be?

"I managed to strike him on the shoulder," Luke was saying. "And I guess that made him angry," he remarked, a frown coming over his face. "In retaliation, I guess, he …he cut off my hand," Luke said next, the words more painful to utter than he'd thought they'd be.

"I dreamed about that," Anakin told his son. "Just as you described."  
Luke looked up at him. "What? How can that be?"

"I have a theory," Anakin replied. "Tell me what happened next to see if I'm right."

Luke nodded. "Okay," he replied. "I was in no shape to fight any more," he continued. "And he knew it. He backed me out onto the gantry, all the while telling me that he didn't want to destroy me, and that I was more powerful than I knew, and all that kind of stuff. I didn't want to hear it, I was in so much pain, and so tired. And then he mentioned my father."

"What did he say?" Anakin asked.

"He said that Obi-Wan had never told me about my father," Luke told him. "But he had, and I told him so. I said that Obi-Wan had told me that Vader had killed my father. And that was when he told me."

"He told you that _he_ was your father," Anakin stated.

"Yes," Luke replied quietly. "I didn't want to believe it, I denied it, but he didn't let up, he was relentless. And then he invited me to join him. He said that together he and I could destroy the emperor and rule the galaxy. As father and son."

"And you jumped," Anakin told him. "Didn't you? You jumped rather than accept his invitation."

. "How did you know I jumped?" Luke asked in surprise.

Anakin frowned. "I had a dream," he replied. "And in my dream I saw exactly what you just described," he added. "But not as a mere observer," he continued. "It was though I was there, Luke. It was as though I was seeing it through Vader's eyes."

Luke was silent as he considered this. "How can that be?" he asked at last. "What is your theory?"

Anakin sighed. "I think that Vader's thoughts, his memories are becoming mine," he replied. "He and I are the same person, Luke, remember? Doesn't it stand to reason that at some point there would be some sort of connection between us?"

"I suppose so," Luke replied slowly, the thought of such a thing unnerving him. "Does that mean that he can see your thoughts too then?" he asked in alarm. "If so, then he will know where I am, he'll know about Leia…" he stopped as the ramifications came rushing at him full force.

"I don't know about that," Anakin replied. "I have the advantage of knowing that he exists; he has no idea that I'm here, in this time. Even if he does manage to catch a glimpse at what is going on inside my mind, he won't be able to put it into any context. At least, that's what I'm hoping."

Luke nodded, a frown furrowing his brow. "Yeah, me too," he replied.

Anakin stood up. "Come on Luke," he said. "Let's get ready to go. All of a sudden I'm very anxious to see Leia."

Luke stood up too. "I know exactly what you mean," he agreed.

_Mos Eisley _

Leia paced up and down in the small apartment, her impatience getting the better of her. She looked once more at her wrist chrono, doing her best to ignore Threepio's incessant questions.

"I really don't understand where they could be," he was commenting. "Given the climate of this planet, it's highly likely that they encountered a sand storm, and if that is the case then..."

"Threepio, shut up," Leia finally snapped. "Just shut up."

Artoo whistled in approval, causing Threepio to give the little droid his best version of a dirty look.

Finally, there was a knock on the door. Leia looked over at Chewbacca, who lumbered over at once. He peered through the peep hole, and then opened the door at once, grabbing Luke in a big bear hug upon doing so.

"It's good to see you too, Chewie," Luke laughed, patting the furry arms of the wookiee. Chewbacca released him and then allowed him and Anakin to enter the small apartment, shutting and locking the door behind them.

"Luke!" Leia said, hugging him warmly. "I'm so glad to see you!"

Luke embraced her back, having to hold back from telling her immediately all that he had learned since they had seen one another last. Leia, however, could sense something in him, something different, and pulled back and looked at him.

"What is it?" she asked, studying his face closely.

Luke looked over at Anakin, who was merely watching his children with interest.

"There's a lot we need to talk about, Leia," Luke said at last, taking her hands in his. "All three of us."

Leia frowned, and looked over at Anakin, almost as though she was noticing for the first time that he was even there. "What is it?" she asked again. "What's going on?"

Anakin and Luke looked at one another. "It's kind of complicated," Luke said. "Maybe you ought to sit down."

Leia grew alarmed and sat down at once. "You're scaring me," she told them.

"We don't mean to do that," Anakin said, sitting down facing her as Luke sat beside her. "But this is bound to be rather a shock."

"I'm listening," Leia replied.

Anakin glanced at Luke before continuing. "First of all, I have a confession to make. I'm not Anakin Starkiller."

Leia's eyebrows shot up at this disclosure. "Who are you then?" she demanded.

"My real name is Anakin Skywalker," he replied.

Leia looked over at once at Luke. "Skywalker?" she exclaimed.

Luke nodded. "He's my father, Leia," he told her.

Leia looked back at Anakin. "Why did you lie about who you really are? And how do we know we can believe you this time?"

Anakin sighed, his daughter's cynicism reminding him a little too much of himself. "Look at me, Leia," he finally said. "And look at Luke. Don't you see a resemblance?"

Leia looked at the two men, first one then the other, the resemblance between them undeniable.

"That could be pure coincidence," she remarked.

"He's telling the truth," Luke said in exasperation. "He has my lightsaber, Leia; the one that Obi-Wan gave me, the one that had been my father's. I'd recognize it anywhere."

Leia frowned, unable to dispute this bit of evidence. "So why did you lie about who you are? Especially to Luke?" she asked Anakin.

"I felt it was the prudent thing to do," Anakin replied. "I had no idea what the ramifications would be if Luke knew the truth of my identity."  
"But now he does," she pointed out.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, now he does," he agreed. "He was able to put it together without me telling him," he added, looking at Luke. "What's done is done, there's nothing I can do about that now. But I wanted you to know the truth too, Leia. It's important that you do, because it involves you as well."

Leia stared at him, her heart starting to race. "What do you mean it involves me?" she asked. She looked at Luke. "What is he talking about?"

Luke took a deep breath before he replied. "Leia, what did your parents tell you about your birth parents? Do you remember?"

Luke's question could not have been more surprising, and it took Leia a moment to reply. "They…they died," she said at last. "I was told that my mother died moments after I was born and my father before that." he stopped as the truth suddenly dawned on her, and turned to Anakin. "What are you telling me?" she asked softly. "Are you telling me that you…that I'm…?"

"You're my daughter, Leia," Anakin said. "You're Luke's twin sister. That's what we're telling you."

Leia was too dumbfounded to speak for a moment; for this was the last thing she had expected they would tell her. She turned to Luke, her new found brother, her twin. "Why were we raised apart?" she asked her voice full of emotion.

"Because of what happened to our parents," Luke told her, taking her hand. "We were orphaned, Leia. The only option was for us to be raised separately, so I was raised here, by our Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, and you were adopted by the Organa family and raised on Alderaan."

Leia's eyes filled with tears. She looked back at Anakin. "You died," she said softly. "You died in the Purges, didn't you?"

Anakin felt his heart aching as he nodded, hating himself for lying to her, but knowing that it was for the best. "I wasn't there when you and Luke were born," he said quietly. "I didn't even know your mother was carrying twins until I met the two of you."

"That was why you were asking me all those questions about my name," she realized. "How did you know I was your daughter? I don't have your name."

"Initially it was your Force signature that told me," he replied. "You are strong with the Force, Leia; even though you haven't been trained like Luke has, you are just as strong. But when I met you, I knew without a shadow of a doubt who you were." He smiled. "You look so much like your mother," he told her.

Leia couldn't hold back the tears as they rolled down her face. The thought of the mother she'd never known had always been a painful one for her; she would have given anything to have met her. "Do I?" she asked.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, very much so," he told her.

Leia wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of one hand, squeezing Luke's hand in her other one as she did so. "So if you died, then why are you here? What is the reason you've come here? Just to meet us?"

"No, I have a job to do, Leia," Anakin told her. "I know now what happened in my own time. Obi-Wan has told me everything, and this knowledge will help me when I get back."

"Help you? In what way?" she asked.

"He's going to change the future, Leia," Luke told her. "He's going to prevent Palpatine from becoming emperor and destroying the Jedi."

Leia looked back at her father. "How?? How are you going to do that?"

"I know who is responsible now," Anakin told her. "Everything that happened can be traced to one person, and that is the person I will destroy when I return to my own time."

"Who is that?" she asked.

Anakin glanced at Luke briefly before replying. "Darth Vader," he told Leia. "He is the crux of it all, Leia," he continued. "And he will be the one I have to destroy when I return to the past."

Leia felt her body tense at the mention of Vader's name. "He is responsible?" she asked quietly. "For everything?"

"He helped the emperor, but without Vader, Palpatine never would have managed what he did," Anakin replied. "Vader betrayed the Jedi; he betrayed everything he ever cared about. He must be stopped before he has a chance to start the destruction he caused."

"But how will you do that?" Leia cried. "You were one of the Jedi killed in the Purges! How can you defeat both Vader and Palpatine?"

Anakin was at a loss how to answer this one. How could he possibly answer her question without revealing the horrible truth? "Forewarned is forearmed, Leia," he said at last. "The Jedi did not see this coming. Palpatine was trusted by everyone, including the Jedi. No one knew that he was a Sith, not until he had seized control and ordered the murder of the Jedi. I know now, and I can use that knowledge to stop him, to stop them both."

"You can do it, Dad," Luke averred. "I know you can. Just think of what it will mean when you do," he added.

Anakin nodded. "It means we'll be a family," he said. "The way we should have been."

"I would love that," Leia commented with a smile. Her smile soon faded though when a thought occurred to her. "How will you prevent our mother from dying?" she asked. "She died in childbirth, didn't she?"

Anakin frowned. "I'm not entirely certain if that was the only reason for her death," he told them both. "I strongly suspect that what happened to me played a part in her demise."

"You mean…she died of a broken heart?" Luke asked.

Anakin's eyes filled with tears at the thought of it. "Perhaps," he said softly. "I will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen," he told his children. "I swear to you both." A thought occurred to him, and he looked around. "Where is Artoo?" he asked. "Artoo come here," he said when he spotted the droid.

Artoo came rolling over at once.

"Do you still have the holos from Naboo?" he asked the droid.

Artoo beeped an enthusiastic yes.

"Replay the wedding holo," Anakin instructed.

"He has footage of you and Mother's wedding?" Leia asked in amazement.

Anakin nodded. "Watch," he said as the holo materialized before them.

Luke and Leia watched in rapt amazement as they watched a slightly younger version of their father exchange vows with a beautiful woman dressed in a lacy gown of white.

"She's so beautiful," Leia said softly.

Luke nodded. "You do look like her," he told his sister.

Leia smiled. "You two look so happy," she told her father.

Anakin nodded, his eyes not leaving the image of his wife. "We married in secret," he told them. "It was against the Jedi code to marry. But we couldn't stay apart; we couldn't live without one another."

"That is so romantic," Leia sighed. "You must miss her," she remarked.

"Very much," Anakin replied. "As much as I will miss the two of you, I can't wait to get back to her."

"I just realized something," Luke said as the holo ended. "We won't remember any of this, will we?"

"If I am successful, then no, you won't," Anakin replied. "It will never have happened. I will remember, though," he replied. "And perhaps one day I'll tell you about it." He smiled. "You'll probably think I'm crazy though," he said.

Luke and Leia smiled. "Perhaps," Leia commented. "But it's a small price to pay, don't you think?"  
"Absolutely," Anakin replied with a smile.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fourteen **

_Tatooine _

"Tell us how you met Mother," Leia asked Anakin as they sat in a local eating establishment later that afternoon.

"We met here on Tatooine," Anakin replied. "I was nine, and a slave, and she was fourteen and the queen of Naboo."

"Our mother was a queen?" Luke asked in amazement.

"She was," Anakin replied. "For two terms. They wanted her to hold the title for life, but she declined. She became a senator after her second term."

"Why was she here?" Luke asked.

"Her ship had run into some difficulties, and this was the closest planet to stop for repairs. She was with Qui-Gon Jinn when he came into the shop I worked in looking for parts. I set eyes on her and knew that we were destined to be together." He stopped, smiling at the memory. "I asked her if she was an angel. I remembered hearing space pilots talking about angels, about how they were the most beautiful creatures in the universe. She was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen, so the question was a logical one. She didn't see the logic though," he added with a smile. "She thought I was weird."

Luke and Leia laughed. "So you met as kids? And you got married years later?" Leia asked.

"We didn't see each other for about ten years," Anakin explained. "But once we did, there was no denying how we felt about one another. Your mother, being the logical, sensible one, tried to; she said it would never work because of my commitment to the Jedi Order and her career as a senator. I think we were married about a month after she made that decision," he concluded with a smile.

"So you broke all the rules just to be with her," Luke said. "That's amazing."

"Your mother is amazing," Anakin told him. "She's worth breaking the rules over, I promise you that." As he was speaking, he noticed that Leia had become rather quiet, and an expression of uneasiness filled her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

Leia looked up at him. "I just thought of something," she said. "If you change the future, I may never meet Han."

Anakin frowned, the thought of his daughter being in love strangely troublesome to him. "You love this man?" he asked her.

Leia nodded.

Anakin sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Well, if you and he are meant to be together, then you will meet no matter what," he told her.

"Oh they're meant to be together," Luke confirmed. "I guarantee it."

Leia smiled, feeling somewhat relieved.

"Tell me about this man," Anakin said. "Who is he? What is he like?"

Luke had to hide his smile at his father's protectiveness. Leia, however, was not as amused.

"He's brave, and smart, and the best pilot in the galaxy," Leia told him.

Anakin lifted his eyebrows. "Is he now?" he asked.

Leia nodded.

"They say that about me," he told her with a smile.

"Do they?" Luke asked. "Of course, the pod races."

"The what?" Leia asked.

"Our dad is the only human being to have ever raced in the pod races here on Tatooine," Luke told Leia. "He even won sometimes, right Dad?"

"Well, once," Anakin admitted.

Luke grinned. "That's a race I'd love to have seen," he said.

"Some day maybe you and I can race together, Luke," Anakin told him.

"I would love that," Luke told him. "Just let me win sometimes, okay?" he asked.

Anakin laughed. "Okay, deal," he said. "Now back to Han Solo," he said, looking back at Leia. "I have to tell you that I don't like the idea of you going into Jabba's palace, Leia. Not one little bit."

"Objection noted," Leia replied. "I'm going whether you like it or not."

Anakin frowned. "I see you inherited more than just your mother's looks," he remarked.

Leia couldn't help but smile. "Really?"

"Oh yes," Anakin replied. "I can't tell you how many …situations she got into out of sheer stubbornness."

Leia laughed. "I've been in more situations than you can imagine," she told him. "Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself."

"I have no doubt of that," Anakin replied. "So let's go over the plan again," he suggested. "I don't want there to be any chance of a mistake."

_Death Star II – Endor Moon _

It had been an exhausting forty-eight hours. Vader rarely slept well at the best of times, but with the added stress of getting the Death Star back on schedule, he'd had next to no sleep at all since arriving at the space station. And what little sleep he did have had been full of dreams of his son. He would awaken from these dreams anxious and depressed, knowing that he was no closer than ever to finding Luke.

There had been one dream that had puzzled Vader, and he was unable to get it out of his mind. He had seen his son on Tatooine, but he was not alone. He was with Princess Leia Organa. Vader had to wonder if this was a vision of some sort; he and Luke had been psychically connected for weeks now, after all. Was it possible that Luke was actually on Tatooine with the Princess? If so, why? Were they on Tatooine for some reason? _Yes, of course they were, they were going to try to rescue Solo from Jabba the Hutt…where else would they be?_

Vader cursed the emperor for sending him to the Death Star, for the more he thought of it, the more certain he became that his son was on Tatooine. But he knew that he dare not leave the Death Star, not until things were back on schedule. And if that meant driving the men even harder, then that was what he would do. And once things were back on schedule, once he'd fulfilled his obligations to the emperor, he would go to Tatooine and find Luke. And once he had, once he had convinced the boy that their destinies were joined, there would be no chance that Palpatine would triumph. _Not this time, my master, _Vader reflected darkly. _Your end is near, I promise you. _

_Tatooine _

Anakin and Luke returned to the apartment with Leia and Chewbacca, deciding to spend the night since darkness was starting to gather in the sky. Both Luke and Leia knew that their time with their father was coming to an end soon, and were anxious to spend as much time with him as possible. Neither of them wanted to consider the possibility that Anakin would not be successful; having met him and come to know him would make it unbearable. No, he would succeed, he had to succeed; and that was all there was to it.

It was very late and Anakin was still awake, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was used to not sleeping though; he had not been able to sleep well for years. His mind was always too full to allow him to sleep, and this was certainly no exception. He and his children had planned the rescue of Han Solo down to the last detail; first the droids would be sent, the very next day in fact. And then, twenty –four hours later, Leia, in the guise of a bounty hunter, would bring Chewbacca to Jabba. If she did not return in twenty-four hours, then Luke would be next. Anakin did not like the plan, and had told them so quite adamantly. But neither of them would relent, and Leia had even pointed out a very pertinent fact that had given Anakin pause. If something happened to him, if he were killed, then there would be no hope for a better future. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He couldn't take that risk, there was too much at stake. However, he had a plan of his own, one that he did not let his children in on. He hoped that he wouldn't need to use it, but if it meant saving Luke and Leia, then he would not hesitate to do so.

Anakin heard his son moving about in his sleep, and turned to watch him. Luke was clearly having some sort of nightmare, for he was thrashing about now, a look of anguish on his face. Anakin moved over to him and shook his son gently by the shoulder.

"Wake up Luke," Anakin implored him.

Luke moaned softly in his sleep, the sweat standing out on his furrowed brow. Anakin shook him again, sending a message through the Force to him. _Luke, wake up son, let go of it! Come back to me, son. Wake up! _

Luke's eyes woke up, as the images of his nightmare melted away and he felt the soothing, warm presence of his father filling his mind. He looked up at Anakin, who was still watching his son, feeling Luke's angst as clearly as it was his very own. "Dad?" Luke said softly.

"I'm here," Anakin said, squeezing his son's shoulder. "I'm right here, Luke. You were just dreaming."

Luke sat up slowly, shaking his head. "No, it wasn't a dream," he told Anakin. "It was Bespin again…I was so scared, so tired…I couldn't stop him, Dad…he just kept coming at me again and again!"

Anakin felt himself fill with rage when he thought of what Vader had done to Luke. _What I did to him, _he thought. He pulled Luke into a fierce embrace, the paternal need to protect his child overwhelming him. _I'm so sorry, _he told his son silently. _I promise you things will be different…you won't have to suffer at the hands of that monster ever again, Luke, I swear it. _

His father's soothing presence was like a balm for Luke's soul. Ever since he had figured out that Anakin was his father, he'd felt himself growing closer to him, their link through the Force stronger than Luke had imagined possible. The thought of Anakin leaving now filled Luke with anxiety. He needed his father, his real father, the father he'd dreamed of all his life.

"Are you alright?" Anakin finally asked as he released Luke.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I think so," he replied. He was silent as he considered something, something that had just occurred to him recently since meeting his father as he had been before his fall into darkness. "You know, Vader could have killed me, but he didn't."

Anakin frowned. "What are you saying, Luke?"

"I'm saying that, even though he is capable of such evil, there must still be some good in him," Luke replied. "I was no match for him, Dad; he was totally in control, and yet he didn't kill me. He didn't kill Leia either when she was his prisoner. And I have to wonder if that was a coincidence."

"I thought you said he didn't know Leia was his daughter?" Anakin asked.

"I don't think he does," Luke replied. "But maybe on some level he just couldn't bring himself to do it. No one escapes Darth Vader, Dad, and yet we both have, we have both managed to escape certain death at his hand. I think he was unable to kill us, that when it came right down to it he couldn't." He stopped as he considered this more. There had been several times that Vader could have killed either he or Leia, and had not: the Death Star, the battle at Yavin, Hoth, Bespin…

"I suppose perhaps there is some good yet in him," Anakin replied, finding himself relieved to hear it.

"There has to be," Luke reasoned. "Look at you," he continued. "How could he not have some good in him when he was once you?"

Anakin nodded. "He has suffered a great deal from what I know," he commented. "Thought that doesn't excuse the atrocities he committed," he added.

"No," Luke agreed. "I suppose not."

"We should try to get back to sleep," Anakin said. "The show starts tomorrow, remember?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, that's right," he said. "I just hope this works," he added as he lay back down.

Anakin frowned. _If it doesn't, I'll take matters into my own hands, no matter what;_ he reflected as he lay back down as well and did his best to go to sleep.

_Super Star Destroyer Exactor _

Darth Vader knelt in the holo chamber, waiting. While he waited, he had time to think. He had not been able to put the image of his son on Tatooine from his mind, and was now certain that Luke was there. The image of the Princess was a confusing one, for he had never had visions of her before. And yet, he reasoned, she was important to Luke; perhaps that was the reason she figured in the vision.

It was all Vader could do not to rush off to Tatooine now that he knew Luke was there; and yet this would only draw the emperor's attention. And that was not something Vader could risk. Palpatine was almost as anxious to find Luke as Vader himself was, but for completely different reasons. Palpatine meant to use Luke, just as he had used Luke's father. That was not going to happen. No, first Vader must secure Luke's loyalty and then they would face the emperor together. Face him and destroy him. So until such time as Palpatine was otherwise preoccupied with his new space station, Vader would have to keep the knowledge of his son's whereabouts to himself.

The image of Palpatine materialized before him at last, and Vader looked up.

"What is it, Vader?" Palpatine asked. "I trust you have good news."

"Indeed I have," Vader replied. "I have been successful, my master. The Death Star's construction is back on schedule."

Palpatine nodded. "Good work, Lord Vader. I have a few matters to attend to here on the capital, and then I will come to see your work for myself."

"I look forward to it, Master," Vader replied.

Palpatine smiled benevolently. "You've done well, my friend," he said. "I will arrive in less than a week. Be ready for my arrival."

"I shall make the preparations myself, my master," Vader replied. He bowed as the image of the emperor faded from view. _A week…one more week and then I will be with my son…_ he reflected. He knew he must be careful to hide his plans, not only from Palpatine but also from Luke. Given the way they had parted ways, Vader suspected that Luke would run if he knew that he was on his way. And that was something he couldn't risk, not now, not after the long pursuit, not after the heart ache of losing him after being so close to claiming him at last.

Somehow it seemed fitting that they would meet up again on Tatooine, the planet where they had both been raised, the planet where he'd first met his beloved Angel. Thoughts of her were still too painful for Vader to allow, so he pushed the image of her sweet face from his mind, and made his way to the bridge to let Piett know that the emperor would be paying them a visit in a few days' time.

_Tatooine – the next morning _

Anakin and Leia sat and watched as Luke programmed a message for Artoo Detoo to relay to Jabba once they had arrived at the gangster's palace. Luke had donned the black robes of a Jedi, which his father had helped him procure in Mos Eisley. Anakin felt immensely proud as he listened to his son, who spoke with such poise and maturity. Jabba would not take's Luke's offer, of that Anakin had no doubt. But it was their hope that the attempt would distract Jabba's attention long enough for Leia's part in the plan to be put into action.

"Well? How was that?" Luke asked when he'd completed his message.

"Perfect," Leia told him with a smile.

Anakin smiled. "Yes, very well done," he told Luke. "Let me ask you though; does Threepio know what's going on?"  
Luke and Leia looked at one another. "No," they replied at once.

"If he did he'd blow everything, I know he would," Leia explained.

Anakin laughed. "You're probably right," he replied. "Better he doesn't know, I agree. Now, give me your lightsaber, Luke."

Leia watched as Luke handed his brand new weapon to their father, curious to see what Anakin was going to do with it.

"How is this going to work?" she asked as Anakin stood before Artoo.

"Luke has given Artoo a signal," Anakin explained. "And when he does, Artoo will jettison the lightsaber from here," he told her, indicating a spot on the dome of the droid.

"How is he going to do that?" Leia asked. "He's not a battle droid, he's just an astromech."

Anakin looked at her with a smile as he crouched down before the droid. "Just an astromech, did you hear that, Artoo?" he asked the droid. Artoo whistled plaintively.

"I've spend many an hour customizing this little astromech," he told her as he set to work. "There's not much this little fellow can't do, Leia. Now watch this," he said as he stood up. "Okay Artoo," he said, and then gave a little nod. At once the droid produced the lightsaber from the top of his dome and waited. Anakin gave him a salute, and at once the lightsaber came flying out of the recess it had been secured in, and shot across the room, right into Luke's waiting hand.

"That is so cool," Luke said with a smile.

Leia had to agree. "I had no idea you were so good at building and fixing things," she told her father.

"I built him, remember?" Anakin reminded her, nodding in Threepio's direction as Luke returned the lightsaber to Artoo.

"That's right," Leia replied. "How old were you when you did that?" she asked.

Anakin thought for a moment. "Eight or nine," he told her. "Probably explains all his…programming problems," he added with a smile.

Luke and Leia laughed, as well as Artoo who always enjoyed a joke at Threepio's expense.

Chewbacca returned to the apartment at this point, a parcel in his hands. Anakin looked up at him. "Did you get everything?" he asked.

Chewie barked an affirmative.

"Good," Anakin replied. "Let's get started on that detonator then. We haven't got much time."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Fifteen **

_Tatooine _

"Of course I'm worried. And you should be too," Threepio told his small counterpart as they made their way along the deserted road. "Lando Calrissian has never returned from this awful place."

Artoo whistled optimistically in response. He of course was privy to the plan; Threepio was not.

"Don't be so sure," Threepio replied knowingly. "If I told you half the  
things I've heard about this Jabba the Hutt you'd probably short-circuit."

The two droids approached a massive gate, the entrance to the palace of the infamous gangster, Jabba the Hutt. They looked up at it nervously, neither of them wanting to make the next move. Threepio, not wanting to admit that he was terrified, looked down at Artoo.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" he asked. Artoo whistled a most emphatic affirmative.

At this, Threepio screwed up what little courage he had. "I'd better knock, I suppose," he said. He looked around for some kind of signaling device, but found none. After a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand to the door and gave it a rather timid knock. "There doesn't seem to be anyone there," he said instantly "Let's go back and tell Master Luke."

They were about to turn away when a small hatch in the middle of the door opened and a spidery mechanical arm, with a large electronic eyeball on the end, popped out and inspected the two droids.  
"Tee chuta hhat yudd!" the eyeball exclaimed.

"Goodness gracious me!" Threepio yelped in alarm. He pointed to Artoo and then himself, in an attempt to communicate with the bizarre creature. "Artoo Detoowha bo Seethreepiowha ey toota odd mischka Jabba du Hutt," he said.  
The eye looked from one droid to the other, and then laughed, much to Threepio's alarm. It then disappeared back into the door, the hatch slamming shut behind it. Threepio nearly passed out with relief, while Artoo, knowing how vital it was that he gain entry to the palace, beeped his concern.  
"I don't think they're going to let us in, Artoo," Threepio declared, trying not to sound too delighted. "We'd better go," he added, turning to leave. However at that moment the enormous iron gate started to rise with a dreadful metallic sound. The droids turned back, where they were faced with a seemingly endless black hole. They looked at one another nervously, and then Artoo barreled right in, Threepio hustling after him. The door lowered noisily behind them, trapping them within the lair of the vile gangster.

_Mos Eisley_

"That's good, Luke," Anakin encouraged his son. "Now try it again, only a little faster this time."

Luke nodded, and tightened his grip on his father's lightsaber as the remote made another pass. Anakin watched with a critical eye as Luke moved quickly to deflect the energy burst emitted by the remote. For someone who had only recently learned how to use a lightsaber, Luke was remarkably skilled with the weapon. Anakin smiled with pride, pleased that his son had inherited so much from him.

"How's it coming?" Leia asked as she entered the room.

Anakin picked up the small device that he had been working on and handed it to her. "What do you think?" he asked.

Leia took the detonator from him and examined it, impressed by his craftsmanship. "This is excellent," she said, sitting down beside her father. "You're amazing, you know that?" she added with a smile.

Anakin was pleased by her words of praise. "Thanks," he said, looking back at Luke. "You know, you ought to be learning this as well," he told her. "I'd be willing to bet your midichlorian count is as high as Luke's," he added.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Midichlorians are tiny, microscopic organisms that live within all sentient beings," Anakin told her. "They are what enable us to tap into the Force," he added. "The higher the count is, the stronger your abilities are."

"What's your count?" Luke asked, turning off the lightsaber. He'd heard the conversation and was interested at once. "Do you know?"

"Around twenty-thousand," Anakin told them.

"Is that high?" Leia asked.

Anakin smiled. "Well, no one has ever had a higher one," he told her. "So I suppose it is."

"Yours is the highest? Ever?" Luke asked in awe.

Anakin nodded. "They call me the Chosen One," he told his children. "According to Jedi Legend, I'm the one who will bring balance to the Force," he added. "Although I have to admit that I don't quite know what that means," he said.

"Maybe this visit to the future is all part of that legend," Leia suggested.

"Perhaps," Anakin replied. He was quiet for a moment, the thoughts of leaving his children soon weighing heavily on his mind. "So is everything ready for tomorrow morning?" he asked.

Luke and Leia looked at one another, sensing their father's sadness.

"Yes," Leia told him. "Chewie has seen to it."

Anakin nodded.

"Don't worry, Dad," she told him, linking and arm through his. "Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Anakin leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "I know," he replied, though not entirely convinced. "I just hate the thought of being parted from the two of you now. I guess the next time I see you, you'll be babies," he realized.

"That's true," Luke realized. "How weird is that?"

"I wish some how we could remember this time we've had together," Leia said. "But I guess that's impossible."

"We can't have it both ways, Leia," Luke reminded her. "Besides, we'll have a life time together with both our parents if all goes as planned," he added. "Right?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes, that's true," he replied. "Come on," he said, standing up. "I want to see you run through that program again."

Luke almost groaned, but thought better of it and stood up, preparing himself as the remote warmed up.

The day passed far too quickly for Anakin's liking, and before he knew it, he was kissing his daughter goodnight. He knew he would sleep very little that night from worry; for although he trusted that Leia knew what she was doing, the thought of her being in danger made his blood run cold. _And yet, you tortured her, you held her prisoner, you allowed the man she loves to be used as a guinea pig in some horrific experiment and parceled him off to a bounty hunter… no, that wasn't me, _he told himself; _that was the other, that was the Dark One. _

An idea had been dancing around the periphery of Anakin's mind since the previous night when Luke had awoken from the nightmare he was having. Luke had come to realize that there was still good in Darth Vader. This had come as a surprise to Anakin, albeit a pleasant one. And it gave him reason to trust that he could attempt to deepen the communication that had occurred between him and his other self. Perhaps Vader could shed some light onto that day when everything had gone so wrong; the day that Obi-Wan had said was the turning point for both Anakin and the galaxy. Perhaps he could, but would he? Would he see the importance of it? Would he even care? _Surely he would want things to be different…surely he would change things if he could, _Anakin reasoned. _He's me after all, isn't he? _He felt as though his head could explode with all the permutations and alternatives that were before him. And yet, if anyone knew what the defining moment was, it was Vader. _He's my greatest hope, _Anakin thought. _I only hope Luke's faith in him isn't misplaced. _

_The procession moved slowly down the street which was lined with mourners, all there to pay their final respects to their beloved queen. Six white beasts pulled the glass coffin slowly towards the cemetery, followed by the family of the deceased as well as the reigning queen and other dignitaries. Within the coffin lay his angel, her faced surrounded by flowers, her hand clutching the Japor Snippet that she had worn every day since it had been given to her. The snippet rested on her swollen belly, which appeared to still be heavily with child. She was gone, along with their unborn child…gone forever…_

Anakin woke up suddenly, the images of his dream having left him shaken. _This is what he saw, _he realized, knowing that he'd just witnessed another of Vader's memories. _The funeral of my angel, our angel…_Hot tears spilled out of Anakin's eyes as the image of his dead wife filled his mind. _How did I go on without her? How do I still exist without her?? _And then he realized why Vader was so desperate to find Luke; he was all he had left of Padmé. A surge of compassion filled him, and for an instant he saw Vader as a tragic figure, not one of mere evil and destruction. He had suffered so much, lost so much, all because of a decision that he'd made when he was a young man, too scared and naïve to know any better. _But this time will be different, _he vowed. _This time I won't make that decision, and together, Lord Vader, you and I will change the future. _

The morning arrived far too quickly, and the moment of parting was suddenly upon Anakin, Luke and Leia. She was fighting back her tears, but without much success.

"Now remember," Anakin was telling her, "don't try to do it all yourself, Leia. Lando is there, Chewbacca will be with you. Let them do their part, okay?"

"Yes Dad, I will," she assured him. "And I'll be back with Han in no time, you'll see."

Anakin nodded, not entirely sure his daughter knew just who she was dealing with. "Be careful," he said, hugging her tightly. "May the Force be with you." He pulled back and took her face in his hands. "I love you, Leia," he told her.

Leia nodded, her tears rolling down her face as she embraced her father back. "I love you too," she assured him. She turned to Luke next. "Bye little brother," she said with a smile.

Luke laughed. "Hey, how do you know I'm not older than you?"

Leia shrugged. "Just a feeling," she said. They embraced one another tightly. "I love you, Luke," she said.

"I love you too," Luke replied. "I'll see you soon."

"You will," she agreed. She pulled back and brushed the tears from her face. "Well, guess this is it," she said.

"Yes, time to go," Anakin said, hating that it was so. "We'll see you in a couple of days," he told her.

Leia nodded as she picked up her long weapon. "Yes," she said. "Take care of each other," she said. And with that, she turned and left them, with Chewbacca at her side.

"She'll be okay, Dad," Luke assured her. "She's tough."

"I know," Anakin replied. "She's a Skywalker, after all," he said with a smile.

Luke smiled too. "Yep, she is. Guess all we can do now is wait."

"I hate waiting," Anakin grumbled as he sat down.

Luke laughed. "Something else we have in common, eh?"

Anakin smiled. "Yes, you're right about that. I wonder how the droids made out," he said.

"Knowing Threepio he's probably been complaining non stop since they arrived," Luke replied.

"I'd have to agree with you on that," Anakin replied. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "This has to work, Luke," he said softly. "It just has to."

"It will," Luke assured him. "I have foreseen it."

"You have?" Anakin asked in amazement.

Luke smiled. "You bet," he replied.

_Jabba's Palace_

Leia and Chewbacca arrived at the palace of Jabba the Hutt a couple of hours later. Thanks to Lando, they were able to gain entry to the gangster's lair unnoticed, and made it to the throne room unseen. Upon arriving Leia was greeted by the sight of a motley crew of aliens, all gathered around a large grate in the floor. Horrible sounds, too fearsome to consider were emanating from the grate as the onlookers cheered and laughed riotously. Leia fired her blaster into the air to get their attention. She got it immediately. She glanced up at Chewbacca. "Here we go," she said softly. And then she stepped forward into the throne room to set her plan into action.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Sixteen **

Leia waited until nightfall to make her move. Ignoring her father's advice, impatient to save Han, she had decided to go it alone. From the moment she'd first seen the slab of carbonite that contained Han, which had been mounted on a wall as a macabre decoration, Leia had made up her mind.

Wearing the bizarre mask and helmet, Leia picked her way carefully through the throne room full of snoring, drunken creatures. She made her way over to where Han was suspended on a wall, his coffin-like case suspended by a force field. Leia deactivated the force field by flipping a control switch to one side of the case. The heavy case slowly lowered, and then landed rather loudly on the floor. Leia looked around, her heart racing, praying that none of the creatures had been awakened by the sound. But no one stirred, and so she proceeded.

Moving quickly, she stepped up to the carbonite block, looking at Han's frozen image for a moment before acting. Next she turned to the controls on the side of the case, and, after studying it briefly, activated a series of switches. Lastly, she lowered the decarbonization lever and stepped back to watch. Immediately the case began to hum as the hard casing covering Han's face began to melt dissolve. Leia watched with mounting impatience as Han's body was freed and his arms dropped loosely to his sides. Falling to the filthy floor, he appeared to be dead. But Leia knew better.

Leaning over to him, she cradled him in her arms as he began to sputter and cough, his eyes squinting painfully.

"You have to relax for a moment," she told him, her voice distorted by the strange, alien mask. "You're free of the carbonite. You have hibernation sickness."

Han could not stop shaking. He felt cold, and hot, nauseous and dizzy all at once. And to make matters worse, he couldn't see anything.

"I can't see," he told his strange, mysterious savior.

"Your eyesight will return in time," Leia assured him.  
"Where am I?" Han asked.

"Jabba's palace," she told him. Han lifted his hand blindly to touch the face of his rescuer and gasped when he felt the bizarre mask.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Leia couldn't hold back any longer. She could see how scared Han was, and felt anxious to comfort him. She reached up and removed her helmet.

"Someone who loves you," she told him.

Han nearly wept with relief. "Leia!" he gasped. Leia kissed him tenderly. But she ended their tender moment quickly, knowing that time was of the essence.

"I've got to get you out of here," she told him, helping Han to stand up. All of a sudden, the silence was broken by the sound of an obscene laugh. Leia's eyes widened in terror.

"What's that?" Han asked in alarm. And then he knew. "I know that laugh," he said with a groan.  
A filthy, tattered curtain on the far side of the room opened, revealing Jabba  
the Hutt, surrounded by his cronies. He laughed again, and was joined by his mob of freakish alien side kicks.  
"Hey, Jabba," Han began desperately as Leia directed him in the Hutt's direction, "look, Jabba, I was just on my way to pay you back, but I got a little  
sidetracked. It's not my fault."

Jabba merely laughed. "It's too late for that, Solo," he retorted in his native tongue. "You may have been a good smuggler, but now you're Bantha  
fodder."  
"Look..." Han tried again, but Jabba cut him off.

"Take him away!" he roared, and at once two rough guards grabbed Han and started to lead him away. Han wasn't finished negotiating, however, and shouted to Jabba as he was lead away.

"Jabba... I'll pay you triple! You're throwing away a fortune here. Don't be a fool!"

But by now Jabba's attention had been diverted elsewhere; namely to the beautiful princess who now stood before him.

"Bring her to me," Jabba ordered some guards, one of whom happened to be Lando.

Jabba chuckled as Lando and a second guard dragged the beautiful young princess toward him.

"We have powerful friends," Leia warned him, thinking primarily of her father. "You're going to regret this," she warned him.

But Jabba wasn't intimidated by her threats. "I'm sure," he told her, moving her face closer, close enough for Leia to be surrounded by the stench of his horrid breath. She couldn't hold back a sound of disgust, which only added to the glee of the monsters gathered to enjoy her torment. She looked away, her mind searching for her father's frantically. _Dad, help me!!_  
_Mos Eisley _

Anakin and Luke had just left the apartment to return to the desert when both of them were struck with a strong surge of fear emanating from Leia. Anakin turned do his son, his eyes wide and troubled.

"Leia's in trouble!" he said. "Jabba has her!"

Luke nodded, fear for his sister filling him. "I'll go," he said.

"Yes, it's time," Anakin agreed as he maneuvered the speeder out onto the street. His hands gripped the controls tightly as his mind searched out his daughter's in an effort to comfort her. _ We're on our way, Leia, _he told her. _Try to stay calm, sweetheart; use the Force. It will help you. _

"I want to come with you," Anakin said at last, breaking the silence that had fallen between him and Luke as they pondered Leia's situation.

Luke looked at him. "Dad, we already talked about this," he said. "If something should happen to you…"

"Nothing is going to happen to me!" Anakin retorted impatiently. "I'm the Hero with No Fear, damn it! I've fought in more battles than most men see in a hundred life times! And this is my daughter we're talking about, Luke! I have to help!"

Luke was silent, knowing that his father's protective instinct was tremendous where his children were concerned. "Dad, I need to do this myself," he said. "Don't you see? This is my moment, my test. I will never be able to take the trials that you did to prove yourself. This is my way of proving that I'm a Jedi. I can do this, Dad. I know I can. I love Leia as much as you do; so you really think I'd let anything happen to her?"

Anakin made no response, his own emotions churning wildly within him. Luke had a point; there was no Jedi Council in this time, no way for him to prove himself as Anakin himself had years earlier. This was Luke's moment, the defining moment of his young life.

"You have twelve hours," Anakin said at last. "And if you're not back with your sister, I'm coming to find you whether you like it or not."

Luke smiled. "Deal," he said. "Thanks Dad," he added, "thanks for believing in me."

Anakin snorted. "Both of you kids are every bit as stubborn as your mother," he grumbled.

Luke's smiled grew. "And you're not stubborn at all, right?" he teased.

Anakin looked at him sideways, doing his best not to smile. "No, not at all," he replied. He hit the accelerator as the reached the end of town, and raced towards the desert and Leia.

_Star Destroyer Executioner _

Darth Vader had just sat down in his shuttle, which was returning him to the Death Star, when he was struck with a strong wave of fear in the Force. He frowned as he examined it, for the source of it eluded him. He was quite familiar with the Force signature of his son, for they had made several connections over the past few weeks. But this wasn't Luke he was sensing.

Closing his eyes, Vader concentrated, determined to find the source of this strong emanation. When he did so, he was startled to see the image of Jabba the Hutt coalesce in his mind. The enormous slug was laughing, and was surrounded by his minions, who shared his mirth. And then, a clear voice was heard, a plaintive cry for help: _Dad, please help me!! _

Vader was shaken by this, this unknown voice, this desperate plea. The images in his mind grew distorted and strange, as though whoever he was in contact with was being jostled and pushed. Jabba disappeared, and Vader saw a narrow corridor, the walls covered with mildew and filth, the floor festooned with garbage and pools of fetid water. He could feel the terror, the revulsion, the apprehension of what would happen next. And then, quite unexpectedly, the eyes he was seeing through caught a reflection of themselves. Vader would have gasped if it were possible, for the face he saw, although distorted and fleeting, was clearly recognizable as that of Princess Leia Organa.

"Lord Vader we are about to dock."

Vader looked up, the connection severed at once. He merely nodded in reply, too shaken by what he'd just learned to say anything. _Leia Organa is my daughter, _he thought numbly. _ Padmé had twins…and I have tortured my own daughter…may the Force forgive me…_

_Tatooine _

Luke stood before the tiny, faded mirror as he donned his Jedi cloak. Anakin stood behind him, watching with a mixture of pride and trepidation. Neither man had spoken more than a few words since Leia's cry for help, a cry both had felt strongly. Both were equally worried, equally scared; and yet found comfort in one another. There was no need for words, for father and son had become so in tune with one another that they were able to communicate without words. And yet, there was more to it than mere telepathy.

Anakin had come to feel as though Luke was a part of him. Luke's warm, loving presence was like a balm on his father's soul, comforting him and loving him unconditionally. Anakin had never felt so thoroughly connected with another person, and the though of Luke leaving now filled him with a cold sense of dread.

"Well I guess it's time to go," Luke said as he turned to face his father.

Anakin nodded as he made superfluous adjustments to Luke's cloak. "Remember Luke, trust in the Force," he advised him, remembering how he'd been told the same thing by Qui-Gon Jinn many years earlier. "Use your instincts, son. They won't fail you."

"I will," Luke replied. He was feeling anxious about being parted from his father, particularly since he had no idea if he would ever see Anakin again.

Anakin smiled, his eyes brilliant with tears. "I'm so proud of you, Luke," he told him softly, setting his hands on Luke's shoulders.

Luke returned his father's smile, his own tears rising to the identical blue eyes as his father. "Thanks Dad," he said. "That means a lot to me."

Anakin nodded, and then pulled his son into a tight embrace. "I love you, son," he told him, squeezing his eyes tightly as the tears ran down his face.

Luke's tears were flowing as well as he embraced his father with equal ardor. "I love you too, Dad," he said. "And I know we'll see one another soon," he added, ever the optimist.

Anakin sighed, hoping with all his heart that they would. "Remember, the mind of a Hutt cannot be manipulated by the Force," he reminded his son as he pulled back, his hands still resting on Luke's shoulders. "So you must be extra careful," he told Luke.

"I will," Luke replied. "Don't worry."

"Easy for you to say," Anakin replied with a smile. "Come on, time to go."

Thirty minutes later Anakin sat in the speeder watching his son gradually disappear in the direction of Jabba's palace. Anakin had insisted on bringing Luke as close as possible without arousing suspicion. What he hadn't told his son was that he planned on remaining close by. It wasn't so much that he didn't have faith in his son; it was his paternal instincts that made him so do. He simply had to be close by, close enough to keep tabs on what was going on, close enough to step in when and Luke and Leia needed him to.

Luke's image was gone from sight now, and yet Anakin could still feel his son's presence in his mind. _Be careful, _he told him again. In his mind, Luke merely smiled in response.

_Death Star II- The Moon of Endor _

Darth Vader made his way to the hangar bay, accompanied by a very  
nervous Commander Jerjerrod. Vader had pushed all images and thoughts of his daughter from his mind before his encounter with the emperor. Palpatine already knew about Luke, but Vader was determined to keep Leia a secret from him. He owed his daughter that much at least after everything he had done to her.

Thousands of Imperial troops filled the gargantuan docking bay. Vader and Jerjerrod walked past their tight formations to the landing platform,  
where the shuttle bearing the emperor had just landed. The shuttle's ramp lowered and the Emperor's Royal Guards appeared and immediately formed a tight and lethal line of impenetrability. With the thousands of troops moving to attention, all eyes turned to the ramp, where a small, ancient man had appeared. His gnarled and bent frame leaned heavily on an equally gnarled cane. His face was shrouded by the enormous cowl of his cloak; all that was visible were his yellow eyes. Vader knelt before him, Jerjerrod following suit. Palpatine hobbled over to where they were and motioned for Vader to join him.   
"Rise, my friend," Palpatine said.

Vader stood at once and fell into step beside his master, towering over him, determined to keep Leia as far from his thoughts as possible.

"The Death Star will be completed on schedule," he informed the emperor confidently.

Palpatine nodded approvingly. "You have done well, Lord Vader. And now I  
sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker," he said, seeing thoughts of Lord Vader's son in his apprentice's mind.

Vader looked at the old man, pleased that his diversion had worked. "Yes, my Master."

Palpatine smiled condescendingly. "Patience, my friend," he said benevolently. "In time he will seek you out. And when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the dark side of the  
Force."

"As you wish," Vader replied perfunctorily, appeasing the old man once more.  
"Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen," Palpatine gloated, and then let out a cackle that echoed throughout the entire hangar bay.  
Vader merely nodded, pleased that the old man's thoughts had been deflected so effectively. He continued to walk along side the emperor, who was now engaged in conversation with the Imperial cronies who had accompanied him. Vader fell back, allowing the sycophants to pander and fawn over the emperor and his newest creation.

As he fell back, he had the strangest sensation, as though someone was trying to contact him through the Force. It was quite insistent, and surprisingly strong in its intensity. Vader frowned under his mask; this was not his son, for he'd come to know Luke's Force signature very well. Nor was it his daughter's, for even from the brief contact he'd had with her he knew he would recognize her signature as well. No, this signature was strong, very strong, and very…familiar.

Vader looked up as Palpatine continued his inspection. _Would he notice if I left right now? _Vader wondered anxiously.   
Palpatine looked back at Vader, sensing his uneasiness. "You seem fatigued, my friend," he said. "You are dismissed to retire if you wish."

"Thank you, my master," Vader replied with a bow. "It has been a rather long week."

Palpatine turned back to his cronies and continued on his tour, leaving Vader alone. At once Vader turned back and headed for the hangar. He didn't care if he had to pilot the shuttle back to the _Executor _himself; he needed to be alone, for the voice inside his mind was growing insistent. What was worse, it was calling him by name. His real name.

"Lord Vader may I be of assistance?" a young officer asked him as he walked across the hangar bay.

"I am returning to the command ship," Vader informed the officer. "I need no assistance."

"As you wish, milord," the young man responded with a bow, and then walked off.

Vader headed for the closest shuttle and walked on board, closing the ramp behind him. As he settled into the cockpit, he finally allowed himself to examine the strange insistence he felt clamoring for entry into his conscious mind. The question he had was a simple one.

_Who are you? _

_I'm not sure you'll believe me._

_Try me. _

_I'm Anakin Skywalker. _


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Tatooine _

Having gained entry to the lair of the vile gangster, Luke strode purposefully into the hallway. Two repulsive Gammorean guards moved to block Luke's path, and he halted, but only long enough to apply pressure to the larynx of each pig like creature. They moved back at once, clutching at their throats and squealing in fear. _Thanks for showing me that little trick, Dad, _Luke thought with a smile as he continued on his way.

Out of the gloom a twilek appeared, Bib Fortuna, the major domo of Jabba the Hutt. He approached Luke quickly, shaking a finger of warning at him and blathering on in Huttese. Luke didn't even slow down, forcing the creature to run along side him. Fortuna did so, his words becoming more insistent. Finally Luke stopped and turned to him.

"I must speak with Jabba," Luke said at last.

Fortuna shook his head vehemently, and answered in the same alien tongue that Luke had only a rudimentary knowledge of. He understood enough to know that Jabba's major domo was not about to let him anywhere near Jabba. Luke of course had other plans. He turned and stared into the beady alien eyes of Fortuna, using his new found mastery of the Force to manipulate the creature's mind.  
"You will take me to Jabba now," Luke said, calmly but with irrefutable authority.  
Fortuna stared into Luke's eyes, not realizing that the young Jedi had just bent his mind.

"I will take you to Jabba now," he replied in Huttese, and proceeded to lead Luke into the inner sanctum.

_Above the Endor Moon _

Darth Vader sat utterly still for a moment, having no idea how to respond to the startling disclosure he had just heard. There was no way this could be, no way at all, he decided.

_You are a liar, _he told the strange, insistent presence in his mind. _There is no Anakin Skywalker, he died many years ago. _

_That may be, but you know I'm telling the truth. You know I'm Anakin Skywalker. You know I'm …you._

Vader was growing fearful by this point. _I'm going mad, _he thought at last. _I must be …there is no other explanation. _

_You're not mad, _the voice insisted. _I'm here, now, in this time. The Force has sent me here to undo the damage that we have done, that you have done._

_I don't believe you._

_Luke believes me, _Anakin challenged. _He knows who I am. _

_Leave my son out of this! You have no right to involve him in this madness!_

_He's my son, Vader; he's more my son than he will ever be yours. You destroyed all right to him when you attacked his mother on Mustafar._

Vader could feel hot tears filling his eyes at this. _Padmé, my angel…_

The pain that the thought of Padmé still brought to Vader was staggering, and Anakin felt his heart ache along with Vader's.

_Palpatine told me I killed her that she died along with our child, _Vader remembered

Anakin was horrified by this. _You know now that he lied, don't you?_

_He lied about everything, _Vader told him, the anger and bitterness crystal clear in his mind and heart. _He used me since I was a child, he never cared about me; all he wanted was a slave, and I was the perfect slave, too foolish to know any better. _

_But we can change that, _Anakin assured him. _There's a chance to change everything now, don't you see? _

Vader's skepticism, his cynicism came through clearly, and Anakin almost lost hope. But he pushed on. _You have to help; you're the only one who knows what we did on that day. _

_What are you talking about? What day? _

_The day we went to the senate office, the day we told Mace Windu about who Palpatine was. _

Vader did not respond, and Anakin began to grow fearful that he would not. Perhaps what happened that day was too painful to recall in light of all that had happened as a result. _Too bad, _Anakin reflected. _Too much is riding on this; I won't let him wallow in self pity now!_

_Tell me what happened, _Anakin insisted. _You must! You destroyed everything; the least you can do is try to help me now! _

But there was no response from Vader, and it seemed as though he had severed the communication between them.

"Damn you Vader!" Anakin shouted in frustration. "You bloody fool, don't you understand?? Don't you get it??" He lowered his hands into his face as the frustration and anxiety filled him. Vader was his only hope, and if he didn't see that, if he wasn't willing to help, then the past three weeks had all been for nothing.

_Tatooine _

Jabba was asleep on his throne, with Leia lying in front of him when Luke entered the throne room. The sight of his sister clad in a dancing girl costume with a manacle around her neck angered Luke. He looked up at the repulsive pile of flesh that sat atop the dais as Bib Fortuna approached the sleeping gangster.

Threepio, who was also standing on the dais, turned to Luke, his circuits nearly shorting with relief upon seeing Luke. "At last! Master Luke's come to rescue me!" he cried melodramatically.  
"Master," Fortuna said gently as Luke watched. He and Leia exchanged a brief look, Luke doing his best to communicate to her that everything was going to be alright.

Jabba awoke with a start and Bib continued, in Huttese. "Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight." was about all that Luke understood.

Jabba grew angry. "I told you not to admit him!" he roared in Huttese.

Luke spoke up at this point. "I must be allowed to speak," he said calmly

Fortuna concurred with him, and told Jabba so. This angered the Hutt further, and he cursed loudly at his major domo. "You weak-minded fool!" he roared. "He's using an old Jedi mind trick!" he added, shoving the hapless alien away.   
Luke lowered his hood and fixed his intense stare at Jabba. "You will bring Captain Solo and the Wookiee to me," he said.

Jabba looked at him scornfully. "Your mind powers will not work on me, boy," he said in Huttese.

Luke wasn't put off by the gangster's dire declaration. "Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends," he told Jabba. "You can either profit by this... or  
be destroyed. It's your choice. But I warn you not to underestimate my powers."

Jabba sneered, and then laughed loudly. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke could see Threepio trying to communicate with him. He glanced in the droid's direction.

"Master Luke, you're standing on..." the droid started to tell him, but was interrupted by Jabba.

"There will be no bargain, young Jedi," Jabba grunted. "I shall enjoy watching you die."

Luke grew desperate, wishing more than anything that he had his lightsaber with him. But he didn't, so he reached out, calling the blaster of a nearby guard to his hand. But he was not fast enough for Jabba. He raised his hand and immediately the grate under Luke's feet gave way and he and the guard whose blaster he'd appropriated dropped down into a huge, dark cavern that smelled of death and decay. Leia let out a scream, for she knew what lived beneath the throne room. Reaching forward, she strained against her bonds, the thought of her beloved brother being at the mercy of the Rancor horrifying her.

As for Luke, he quickly got to his feet and turned quickly as a huge grate at the far side of the room slowly lifted. He peered into the gloom as his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and then recoiled in horror when he saw the thing that lurked within the gloom. _Now what? _He thought, quickly surveying his surroundings. _Now what do I do?? _

The pig like guard was squealing wildly, doing its best to scramble up the wall towards a small window, too stupid to know that it was futile. The monster, once freed of its confines, took one step in the wretched guard's direction and grabbed it with one enormous, clawed hand. The guard screamed pitifully as the monster brought it to its mouth, crunching on the guard as easily as most would crunch a piece of fruit. Once it had finished its snack, it turned towards Luke. _Guess I'm the main course, _Luke reflected grimly as he backed away. _ What do I do now, Dad?? _  
he thought anxiously. _How do I get out of this??_

Less than ten kilometers away, Anakin could feel Luke's panic as clearly as if it were his own. _Trust your instincts, Luke, _he told him. _I'm on my way. _

_No Dad, you promised-twelve hours. I can do this, I know it…_

Anakin frowned as his son's connection ended as Luke's attention was diverted to the situation he was embroiled in. _Yes, I did promise didn't I? _he reflected. _But how can I do nothing when my son is in trouble? _

_Endor Moon _

Darth Vader stared out the window was he approached the _Executor_. He didn't know what to think of what had transpired earlier. How could this be? How could his younger self be in communication with him? It just wasn't possible; and yet, there was something undeniably familiar about this …presence. Besides that, he seemed to know a great deal about Luke. _But he didn't mention Luke's twin sister…perhaps because he doesn't know about her, perhaps because he's a liar…_

_I know you're not who you claim to be, so just tell me who you are, _Vader communicated to the mysterious presence he'd yet to identify. He waited for a moment, taking the silence that met his statement as confirmation of it. Vader concentrated; searching out the Force signature he'd encountered earlier, and was met with a wall of fear and panic when he found it. _Don't ignore me, you lying bastard! _Vader said angrily. _You can at least have the courage to tell me who you are. _

_Luke is in trouble, he needs me. _

Vader was startled by this, more so by the cold sense of fear filling him. _Why? Where is he? What's going on? _Vader demanded.

_He went to save Leia, _Anakin replied, stopping short when he realized that he was dangerously close to revealing the identity of his daughter.

_Why? What happened to her? Where is she? _Vader demanded.

Anakin closed his mind for a moment, unsure what to divulge to Vader.

_I know who she is, she is Luke's twin sister, _Vader said, sensing Anakin's hesitance. _ What has happened to her?_

_Jabba the Hutt has her, _Anakin told him at last. _He captured her when she was trying to rescue Han Solo. You know, the man you gave to the bounty hunter? _

Anakin was met by silence at this, and he almost regretted his accusations.

_What are you doing to help them? _Vader demanded.

Anakin didn't reply, deciding he needed to gain control of the situation.

Vader smiled to himself. The stubbornness he was encountering could only be one person, and he'd be blind not to see it now. _You really think you can change the future?_

_I know I can._

Vader hesitated for a moment before replying. It wasn't easy for him to think of those days, and had spent the past two decades blocking the events of those last few days before Mustafar. But if what his younger self was telling him was true, if there was a chance to change everything, a chance to save Padmé, then he had to revisit them now. He knew what the moment was, the moment that had dictated his destiny henceforth.

_You will be faced with a decision, _he told Anakin at last; _a decision that will make you question everything you believe in. _

_What decision? What are you talking about? _

_You must choose a life, _Vader told him. _I chose… erroneously, you must choose correctly. _

Anakin frowned, wondering what this could mean. _Who must I kill? _

_Palpatine _was Vader's immediate response. _No matter what, Palpatine must die. _

Anakin wasn't surprised by this, and yet, coming from Vader, it seemed surprising. _ He's your master and yet you're telling me to kill him? _

_Yes, he used me, he used us. Kill him before he has the chance to do so, kill him so we don't go through the Hell that I've lived in all these years. _

Anakin nodded, feeling the bitterness and pain clearly through his connection with Vader. _I'll do everything I can to prevent that, _he vowed to his older self. _I'll do whatever it takes to save Padmé. _

_You won't save her, nothing can save her, _Vader told him. _The visions came true, don't you understand? _

_NO! I won't accept that! There has to be a way!_

_You fool, don't you see? It was that belief that destroyed everything. _

_I can't let her die…_

_You can't stop it. _

_Then what is the point of it all?? _

Vader was silent as he considered this. What was the point of it all, if she could not be saved?? _Do it for Luke and Leia, _Vader said at last. _They deserve at least one parent in their lives. _

Anakin closed his eyes as hot tears filled them. He wouldn't accept that Padmé couldn't be saved, he simply couldn't. He _would _find a way; Vader was a cynic, a pessimist, and a fatalist. He'd had nothing to hope for or in for two decades; was it any wonder he was so negative?

_I __**will**__ save her, _Anakin insisted. _And we'll raise Luke and Leia together. There will be no Purges, no Mustafar…_

_And no Darth Vader, _Vader concluded.

_And no Darth Vader, _Anakin agreed.

Vader was silent, reflecting that Luke and Leia were worth sacrificing himself for. _Do what you must, _he replied at last. _Just don't make the same mistakes again, Skywalker. _

_I won't, I promise you. Soon your life will be different, Vader…so different. _

Vader wasn't one to place hope in anything, but even he couldn't prevent a small spark of hope from entering his battered heart. _Don't fail me again, Skywalker, _he told his younger self. _I'm counting on you._

Anakin nodded. _I won't fail you, you have my word. _

Anakin stood up, severing the conversation as his thoughts turned to Luke. _I'm coming, son, _he told Luke. _Twelve hours is up. _


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Eighteen **

Luke was exhausted, but knew that he couldn't afford to slip even for a moment. So far he had managed to destroy the Rancor, against all the odds stacked against him; no doubt Jabba would exact a dire punishment for such an outrage.

His hands manacled behind his back, Luke was jostled and shoved roughly by the guards back towards the throne room. From the other side of the room he saw another prisoner being brought in with equally rough treatment, and couldn't help but smile when he saw him.

"Han!" he called.

"Luke!" Han replied, relieved to hear his voce.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked.

"Fine," Han replied. "Together again, huh?" he quipped.

Luke smiled. "Wouldn't miss it," he responded.

"How are we doing?" Han asked.

"The same as always," was Luke's reply.

Han frowned. "That bad, huh? Where's Leia?"

Luke looked up to Leia, who was still chained to Jabba's dais.

"I'm here," she told Han.

Threepio, who had been standing at the back of the dais stepped forward at Jabba's command to translate for the captives.

"Oh, dear," the droid lamented upon hearing Jabba's dire judgment. "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately."

"Good, I hate long waits," Han remarked.

"You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."

Han looked in Luke's direction. "Doesn't sound so bad," he commented. But Luke knew better.

"In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering, as you are slowly

digested over a thousand years," Threepio concluded.

"On second thought, let's pass on that, huh?" Han decided.

Chewie barked in agreement.

"You should have bargained, Jabba," Luke told the gangster calmly. "That's the

last mistake you'll ever make!" he called back over his shoulder as he, Han and Chewbacca were lead away.

Leia watched them go, leaning forward as far as she could until they were out of sight. Jabba yanked her back roughly and she sank into the huge belly of the beast. _The pit of Carkoon…Dad, you have to help them, _she thought anxiously.

_I'm on my way, Leia, _came Anakin's immediate response.

Leia closed her eyes, her father's comforting presence filling her and calming her. _Please hurry, Dad, _she pleaded silently.

Jabba's enormous sail barge moved over the desert surface, flanked by two smaller skiffs. On one of the skiffs, Luke, Han and Chewie stood in manacles, awaiting their fate. Luke remained calm, for he had minded his father's advice, and was drawing upon the Force to keep his wits about him. He could sense that Leia was nearby; no doubt Jabba had brought her along to watch the spectacle. Was their father nearby as well? Luke closed his eyes briefly, amazed by the ease with which he could connect to Anakin's mind.

_I'm on the way Luke, _Anakin assured him. _ I'll meet you at the pit of Carkoon._

_How did you know we were going there?_

_Leia told me. What is your situation? _

_Leia is in the large skiff with Jabba, Han, Chewie and I are on a smaller one. We're almost there, Dad. _

_Okay, I'll see you shortly. _

"I think my eyes are getting better," Han told Luke. "Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur."

Luke turned to him with a smile. "There's nothing to see," he informed him. "I used to live here, you know."

"You're gonna die here, you know," Han retorted. "Convenient."

"Just stick close to Chewie and Lando," Luke told him. "I've taken care of everything."

"Oh... great!" Han replied, not entirely convinced that this was a good thing.

Luke smiled to himself, looking forward immensely to introducing Han to the Hero with no Fear.

Anakin hit the accelerator of the speeder, heading in the direction of the Pit of Carkoon. He could feel the anxiety levels of both his children intensifying, and worried that things were getting out of hand more quickly than he'd anticipated. He pushed the speeder for all it was worth.

As he approached the scene, Anakin could hear the sound of blaster fire and the distinct screams of many different alien creatures. He smiled as he realized what this meant; Luke was doing some serious butt kicking. Rounding a bend, the skiffs came into view. Anakin saw the distinctive green blade of his son's lightsaber flashing rapidly as it repelled blaster bursts. Anakin directed the speeder in behind so he wouldn't be detected, and then prepared to join the fight.

Luke finished off the last guard on the skiff, and then noticed the deck gun blasting away at his helpless companions. With Jedi skill, Luke leapt from the skiff to the sheer metallic side of the Sail Barge. Barely able to get a finger hold, he began a

painful climb up the hull, when suddenly an ax smashed through a window mere centimeters from his head. With great agility, Luke grasped the wrist holding the ax and yanked the helpless guard through the broken window and into the deadly pit below. He then continued his climb up to the top of the skiff.

Leia had watched as her brother sprung into action, amazed and immensely proud of him. And then she herself took action. Using the heavy chain that bound her, Leia smashed the control panel, and at once the blinds slammed shut, casting the entire skiff into darkness. Screams of panic were heard as Leia jumped into action. Leaping onto Jabba's throne, Leia threw the chain that had enslaved her over his head around his bulging neck. Next she jumped off the other side of the throne,  
pulling the chain violently in her grasp. Jabba's flaccid neck tightened beneath the chain, his huge eyes bulging from their sockets. As Leia pulled with all her might, she found herself calling upon the Force to help her. Soon Jabba's scum-coated tongue flopped, and his huge tail started to spasm. Letting out one last groan, Jabba died.

Leia leapt down from the throne, looking around for something to remove the chain with. She then heard the distinctive snap hiss of a lightsaber being ignited. Looking over, she smiled in utter relief and joy to see her father standing there.

"Thought you could use some help," he told her with a smile.

Leia said nothing, but ran to her father and threw herself into his embrace. "I'm so glad to see you!" she cried.

Anakin kissed her forehead. "Let's get out of here," he said. "Hold up the chain, Leia," he instructed his daughter. Leia held out a length of chain tautly and Anakin sliced through it with his saber. "Come on," he said, grabbing her hand. "This way."

Anakin and Leia, along with Artoo Detoo wove their way through the panic stricken aliens, Anakin using his lightsaber to slash them away lest they get too close. Finally they reached the exit, and raced up onto the top of the skiff. It was then that Anakin noticed the outfit his daughter was in.

"What the hell are you wearing?" he asked with a frown.

"No time to explain," she said, looking around. "Where's Luke?"

"There," Anakin said, seeing his son at the other end of the skiff. "Get the gun," he told his daughter. "And get ready to get off this thing."

Leia nodded her understanding and ran to the gun as Anakin ran down to join his son. Upon reaching the barge cannon, she climbed on the platform, and  
swiveled the gun around, readying herself for the signal from her father.  
When Anakin reached him, Luke was warding off laser blasts with his lightsaber, surrounded by guards and fighting like a demon. Anakin approached his son, his own lightsaber flashing; Luke looked over briefly, smiling at his father.

"Need some help?" Anakin asked as he deflected the laser blasts with remarkable ease.

"Yeah, I sure could!" Luke replied. Just then a laser blast hit Luke's mechanical hand and he doubled over in pain. Anakin turned to his son's assailant and slashed at him viciously, cutting the alien in half.

"You okay?" Anakin shouted above the din as he continued to deflect laser blasts.

Luke nodded, flexing the hand, relieved to see it still worked.

"Leia!" Anakin called to his daughter. "Point the gun at the deck and then get down here!" he shouted, holding his hand out to her. Leia locked the gun into position as she ran to join her brother and father.   
"You two get over there," Anakin instructed.

"What about the gun?" Leia asked.

"I'll take care of it," Anakin assured them. "Now get off of here! Do it!"

"Dad, what about you?" Luke asked as he grabbed a rigging rope and tested it for strength.

"Don't worry so much," Anakin told him with a smile. "Now go, go!"  
Luke knew better than to question his father, and motioned for Leia to come over to him. Wrapping an arm around his sister's waist, Luke pushed off from the skiff and swung over to the smaller skiff where Lando, Han and Chewbacca were now in a position of safety.

Luke and Leia turned and watched in awe as their father activated the gun and then ran full out, leaping from the end of the skiff, flipping through the air and landing on the deck of the skiff beside them. "Let's go," he said.

"Don't forget the droids," Luke told Chewie as Leia wrapped her arms around Anakin's waist. Han watched, not liking what his newly recovered eyes were seeing.

"Who's the hot shot?" he grumbled as Lando directed the skiff away from the explosion. He watched as the young Jedi took off his tunic and helped Leia put it on to cover herself up.

Chewbacca barked a response that made Han turn and look at him in disbelief. "You're crazy," he replied, not believing for a moment that the young man before him was in fact the infamous Anakin Skywalker.

As though they suspected Han's skepticism, Luke and Leia lead their father to where Han was. Anakin looked appraisingly at the young man who had won his daughter's heart. _He's older than me! _Anakin thought with a frown. _He's too old for you,_ he told Leia silently. Leia simply squeezed her father's hand hard in response.

"Han, there's something we want you to meet," Luke said. "First of all, you need to know something. Leia and I are twins."

Han's eyes widened at this. "What??" he exclaimed. "Since when? I mean, when did you find this out?"

"Only recently," Leia replied. "It's a long and rather complicated story," she added, turning to Anakin. "And this," she said, smiling at Anakin. "This is our father, Anakin Skywalker."

Han looked at Anakin, an expression of utter shock on his face, ignoring Chewbacca's "I told you so" posture. "You're Anakin Skywalker?? You?"

Anakin nodded, his dislike for Han growing by the minute.

"But how can you be?" Han asked. "You're younger than me!"  
"Yes, I noticed that," Anakin remarked, earning another squeeze on his hand from Leia. "As Leia said, it's a rather complicated situation."

Luke and Leia looked up at their father with a smile, wondering how they would ever make Han understand the remarkable circumstances that had brought them together.

"Well?" Han said. "I'm listening."

"We'll tell you all about it when we get back to the fleet," Luke said. "It's a little hard to explain."

Han nodded, feeling decidedly left out, but was not about to argue with the kid. He'd just saved his life, after all. "Thanks for coming for me," he said, "all of you," he added, looking around at his small group of friends. "I wasn't sure I'd ever see any of you again."

"Guess you owe _us _now, eh Han?" Luke quipped with a smile.

Han laughed. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied. "Hey, you know I'm good for it."

Luke nodded. "I sure do," he replied. "You've saved me enough times; it was my turn to help you out."

Anakin watched the interaction between Han and his two children, deciding that maybe, just maybe, Han Solo wasn't so bad after all.

Lando directed the skiff to Mos Eisley, where the group of comrades proceeded to the small apartment that Leia had leased. The first thing she did was take a shower, and was only too happy to get into her own clothes once more.

"So tell me how this works," Han said, too impatient to wait for an explanation. "You're their dad, and yet you're the same age as them. That doesn't make any sense."

Luke and Anakin exchanged a look.

"No, I don't suppose it does," Anakin replied. "You see Han, I'm from the past. I've been ….transported here, to this time, twenty years in the future for me."

Han just stared at Anakin for a moment, the disbelief clear on his face. "Yeah, right," he said at last.

"It's true, Han," Luke insisted. "The Force brought him here."

Han's expression didn't change with this added piece of information.

"You don't believe in the Force," Anakin said, fixing his blue eyed stare upon Han.

"No, not really," Han admitted. "Though you Jedi know some pretty fancy tricks, that's for sure."

Anakin shook his head in wonderment. "I suppose such skepticism isn't surprising," he commented, "since there are so few Jedi left."

Luke nodded. "But you'll change all that, right Dad?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes, that's my hope, Luke."

"You're gonna change that?" Lando asked at this point. "What do you mean, change the future?"

"That's the reason I was sent here," Anakin told him. "To see what happened as a result of the Jedi Purges and the rise of the Empire. It's my hope that now that I know what happened and why, I can prevent it from happening at all."

"You mean, no Empire?" Han asked. "No rebellion, no Vader?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes," he replied. "If I am successful, there will be no need for a rebellion, and Darth Vader will never exist."

"You'll be successful, Dad," Leia said as she entered the room. "We have total faith in you."

Anakin smiled at his daughter, his heart heavy with the approaching moment of parting.

"Looks like we're all set here," Lando said. "Let's get back to the fleet."

Everyone agreed, and stood up. Anakin looked at his children. "Not me," he said. "I'm not coming back with you."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Nineteen **

"Uh, we'll go and get the ship ready," Han told Luke and Leia. "Take your time." He looked at Anakin. "Good luck, sir," he said. "I hope you're successful with your …mission."

"Thank you, Solo," Anakin replied, shaking Han's hand. "Perhaps we'll meet again some day."

"I hope so," Han replied. "May the Force be with you," he added, much to Anakin's surprise.

Lando shook Anakin's hand as well as Chewbacca, and the three exchanged a few words while Luke and Leia watched in silent shock. Finally he turned to them.

Luke and Leia knew that this moment was coming; they'd known it for weeks. But it didn't stop them from resisting it with everything they had in them.

"No, you have to come with us," Leia exclaimed, grabbing one of Anakin's large hands in hers. "Please, you have time, Dad! It's only been…" she stopped when she realized just how long it had been.

"Four weeks," Anakin said, cupping his daughter's face with his free hand. She looked up at him with eyes that made his heart ache for his sweet Angel. "I'll be called back any time now."

"So come with us, and we'll be with you when you do," Luke suggested. "We want to be with you just as long as we can, Dad."

Anakin smiled at his son. "I know," he replied quietly. "But there's something I must do before I return. Somewhere I must go."

"Where?" Leia asked, almost afraid to know. "We'll come with you!"

Anakin shook his head. "No, Leia, I have to do this alone. I have to go to Naboo. I have to see your mother's grave."

Both twins felt as though a cold hand had reached inside of them and gripped their heart. The brutal reality that their mother was dead brought everything into focus for them. The possibility that their father could save her had been one neither twin could dare to dwell on, for it would be too heart breaking if it didn't happen.

"Mother," Luke said softly. He looked up at his father. "When you go back, will you tell her about us? Tell her how much we love her?"

Anakin's eyes filled with tears. "I will," he said, reaching out and setting a hand on Luke's shoulder. "I can't wait to see her," he added with a smile. "It's been so long."

"Promise us we'll all be together soon, Dad," Leia said, fighting back her own tears. "All four of us."

Anakin nodded. "I promise," he told her. He sighed. "Time to go," he said. "Your commanders are waiting for you; my destiny is waiting for me."

Luke and Leia nodded, knowing that there was no putting off the inevitable now. Each of them embraced their father tightly, not even trying to hold back the tears now.

"I love you both," Anakin whispered. "So much I can't breathe at the thought of being parted from you."

His words did nothing to help Luke and Leia get through this moment of parting, and they simply held him tighter, never wanting him to go. But he did go, and Luke and Leia were left with one another to rely on to cope with his absence. They watched as the star fighter he was piloting lifted off from the docking bay, both silently saying goodbye to him once more. And then, when he was gone from sight, they turned and boarded the _Falcon,_ to resume the life they hoped would soon be changed irrevocably.

_Super Star Destroyer Executor _

Lord Vader had just been dismissed by his master, ordered to the command ship to await orders. Vader had done so, secretly resenting the emperor for casting him aside so cavalierly. Palpatine had brought a veritable gaggle of boot lickers with him and was having a high time showing off his latest creation to them. Vader hated the groveling sycophants, and refused to spend another second with them than was absolutely necessary. So when Palpatine had sent him back to the _Executor,_ Vader was only too happy to comply.

As he walked through the familiar corridors of the star destroyer, Vader's mind returned again to the startling conversation he'd had with his younger self days earlier. In fact, he'd thought of little else.

The possibility that the future could be changed, that the mistakes he'd made in the past could be corrected, that the horror he'd endured for the past twenty years could be avoided was almost beyond his imagination. And, most compelling of all, was the possibility that his beloved Angel could be saved.

Vader had been adamant when he'd told Anakin that she could not be saved, that her destiny was fixed and that the visions he'd had of her were beyond their control. And yet, the young, idealist Skywalker had been convinced that he could and would save her. Could he? Was it possible? The thought of having his beloved Angel with him, to be by her side when she gave birth to their children, to help her raise Luke and Leia…it seemed almost beyond his imagination. It had been so long since Vader had even thought of his wife, had allowed her image to enter his mind; but now he couldn't stop thinking of her.

_From the moment I met you, all those years ago, a day hasn't gone by when I haven't thought of you. And now that I'm close to you again, I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being with you…I can't breathe!! I'm haunted by the kiss you should never have given me. My heart is beating, hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me… _

Memories of that night so long ago flooded to Vader's mind, unstoppable now. He'd known even then as a young man that his life without her would be nothing short of hell…and it had been. Not a day had passed since the day Padmé had died that Vader had not mourned her death, a death that, until recently, he had believed had been at his hand. His fists clenched in rage as he remembered how his master had told him that Vader himself had killed her. _Lies, all lies! He used me; all my life he's used me!! And I was too foolish to see it! _

A fervent wish filled Vader as he recalled the words of his younger self. He remember all too well that moment of decision, that fateful choice he'd made believing that he could save Padmé only if Palpatine lived. And yet, she had died. Could it be stopped? Was it possible that she could be saved? _ Padmé, my beautiful Padmé, I'd die a thousand deaths if I could have saved you. You should have been the one to live, not me…you would have been there to raise our children, to give them a life that they deserved…_

Thoughts of his children gave Vader a jolt of anxiety as he remembered the situation they were in on Tatooine. Had his younger self managed to help them?

_Luke…can you hear me my son? Are you alright? Are you safe? _

There was a long silence that made Vader's blood run cold, and then, the warmth of his son's Force signature flooded him, bringing him more joy than he'd known in a life time.

_I'm fine, Father._

_And your sister? _

Another pause, as Vader sensed his son's shock at the question. And then, acceptance.

_She's fine too. We'll see you soon, Father. And everything will be so different. _

Vader felt the tears fill his eyes at the purity of his son's hope. _ Nothing would make me happier, my son, _he told Luke at last.

_Have faith, Father. We both love you. _

These words were Vader's undoing, and he found himself having to brace himself against the bulkhead of the lift he was in. He didn't deserve their love; and yet, he felt it emanating, brilliant and strong from his son. _I …I love you too, son, _he finally managed to respond.

Luke's presence faded from his mind, leaving Vader both shaken and rejuvenated at once. _ You must succeed, Skywalker, _he thought fervently. _Everything is riding on you. _

And then he made a decision. He didn't care what the repercussions would be, all he knew was that he must do this, he must go there. And, if all went as he prayed it would, it would be the last time he'd ever have to mourn her again.

Stepping off of the lift, Vader proceeded to the hangar bay, his purpose clear. He didn't stop to ask for assistance, he didn't stop to tell anyone where he was going. He simply walked onto his shuttle and lifted off, only waiting for the hangar doors to open before he blasted out into space.

_Naboo _

It hadn't been that long since Anakin had been to Naboo, and yet, as he walked the streets of Theed now, it seemed like a different place. The Empire had been harsh with Naboo, and it showed in the faces of the citizens of the beautiful planet. Anakin forced himself not to dwell on it, however; he was about to change all that forever. Naboo would hold a special place in the Republic once more, and would be forever protected from the ravages of those who would do it harm.

Darkness was falling upon the city as Anakin reached the cemetery outside of the city limits. He'd been here once before, with Padmé, when she'd visited her grandmother's grave on the anniversary of her death. Never did he imagine that he'd be here again under such unlikely circumstances.

The Naberrie family had a mausoleum on the cemetery grounds, and Anakin decided that would more than likely be the place to look first. He walked through the silent graveyard with a sense of dread and trepidation, not sure how he could face what he was about to see. And yet, there was an element of surrealism to the entire situation. This was the future, not the present; this could be changed. It _would _be changed. And soon, very soon, he would be reunited with his angel, and hold her hand as she brought their precious children into the world.

A stone building appeared ahead of him, and he knew that he'd reached his destination. Summoning his nerve, he started up the stone stairs that lead to its entrance, his boots upon the gravel the only sound to be heard. And then he reached it, a wrought iron gate that opened up into the mausoleum. Taking a deep breath, Anakin pushed it, and it swung into the darkened interior. He took a step inside, and then stopped as an unearthly feeling came over him. He felt as though the very warmth of his blood had gone, and every hair on his body stood on end. And then he heard a sound; a mechanical, menacing sound of a machine that had once been a man. He turned slowly, knowing who he would see even before the Other came into view. He stood, waiting now frozen to the ground with morbid fascination as he drew closer, somehow needing to come face to face with the monster he had become. He didn't have to wait long.

"I knew you'd come," Anakin told Vader as the Dark Lord reached the top of the steps and two halves of the same man came face to face at last.

Vader stared at his younger self, only now fully believing that it was him that he had sensed. He hadn't seen his own face in so long that he simply stared for a moment, taking in the details of the young man before him, the man he had once been.

"You've come to say goodbye," Vader said at last, startling Anakin with the menacing tone of his voice.

Anakin nodded. "For now," he said. "I meant what I said, I intend on saving her."

Vader said nothing in response, but Anakin could see how torn he was. He wanted so much to have hope, but a life time of pain prevented it.

"Tell her I love her," Vader said at last. "Tell her…"

Anakin nodded, knowing exactly what was in the Dark Lord's heart. "I will," he said. "This hell you're in will be over soon, I promise you," he told Vader fervently.

Vader merely nodded and then took a step towards the mausoleum. "Your time is short," he said, knowing intuitively that Anakin was about to leave him. "Come with me," he added, pushing past Anakin, who fell into step behind the Dark Lord. Together the two parts of Anakin Skywalker approached the resting place of the woman who had given their life meaning. Upon seeing her name upon the marble gravestone, both stopped, both felt the identical chill go down their spine, both felt their throats constrict with unimaginable anguish.

"How did you let this happen??" Anakin asked his voice hoarse with emotion. "How did you let her die??"

Vader remained silent, for he had no answer to give. He had borne the guilt of her death for two decades now; he was no stranger to self-recrimination. Although, coming from his younger self, it seemed all the more severe, all the more painful. He turned to Anakin, his heart heavy with remorse. "Don't let it happen again."

Anakin nodded, and then, in an instant, found himself at the controls of his speeder. He was back.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty **

Speeders whizzed past as Anakin raced towards the Senate building. The sense of urgency he felt when he'd left returned to him now, but not for the same reasons. At that time he'd been anxious to save Palpatine; he believed that he was the only way to save Padmé. Now he knew better. Now he knew that Palpatine was using him, lying to him and the Dark Side was not the way to save Padmé. Darth Vader himself had shown him that, and it was a lesson he'd not see go to waste.

Upon reaching his destination, Anakin landed his speeder, jumped out, and ran down a long corridor toward the Chancellor's office. The sight that met his eyes upon entering the office caused him to stand still in his tracks for a moment.

Mace Windu and the Chancellor were in the thick of a battle, fighting on the ledge of the window which, for some reason, has been broken. The wind whipped around the room, flapping Mace's cloak wildly as he struggled against the Dark Lord, a look of grim determination on his face. Finally Mace forced Palpatine to lose his weapon, and took a step towards him, the tip of his purple blade at the Sith's throat.

"You are under arrest, My Lord!" Windu shouted above the wind. Palpatine turned and noticed Anakin, a look of utter relief on his ancient visage.

"Anakin! I told you it would come to this!" he cried. "I was right. The Jedi are taking over!"

"You old fool," Windu snapped. "The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over. You have lost, Chancellor."

Palpatine's face twisted with maniacal rage. "No! No! You will die!" he screamed, raising his hands and shooting out blue energy. Windu blocked them with his lightsaber, pushing Palpatine back against the window sill.

"He is a traitor, Anakin," Palpatine cried. "Kill him! You know what you have to do!"

Windu grew furious, his strength starting to give way as he held the Sith at bay. "_He's _the traitor. Stop him!" he shouted at Anakin.

Anakin approached the two combatants, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.

"You are not one of them, Anakin," Palpatine continued, sensing that the young Jedi was weighing his options. "Don't let him kill me! I am your pathway to power. I have the power to save the one you love. You must choose. You must stop him!"

Anakin took a step closer, igniting his lightsaber as he did so.

"Don't listen to him, Anakin!" Windu cried.

"If you let him kill me, your wife will surely die," Palpatine told Anakin. "I'm the only hope you have!"

Anakin ignored the look of shock that Windu was giving him. He shook his head. "No, you're lying," he said at last. "You have no power to save, only to destroy!"

Palpatine began to grow fearful as he saw the look in Anakin's eyes. "You're wrong! Only through the Dark Side will you save her, Anakin! If you let me die, then her life will be on her head!"

Anakin shook his head, remembering what Darth Vader had told him. He had lied to Vader in the most horrific manner possible, telling him that he himself had killed his beloved wife. The audacity, the utter shamelessness of the Sith sickened Anakin, and he took another step closer to Palpatine.

"I've seen the future, Chancellor," he told Palpatine. "I've seen what happens when you are left alive, I've seen the atrocities you commit, and I've seen myself helping you commit them. But not this time," he concluded, bringing his lightsaber to Palpatine's chest. "This time I'm setting things right. This time you don't win, Chancellor."

Palpatine was puzzled by Anakin's statement, but could see that the young man was serious. With one last surge of dark power, he sent Windu across the room, where the Jedi crashed against the far wall.

"You think you don't need me, do you young Skywalker?" Palpatine hissed as he rose to his feet. "Padmé is as good as dead," he continued, lifting his hands to blast Anakin with Sith lightning. "And you're to blame!"

Anakin held his saber high to deflect the energy blast as Palpatine called his own discarded lightsaber to his hand. He brought it to meet Anakin's, the two blades crashing against one another in an explosion of raw energy.

"You young fool," Palpatine taunted. "You have no idea what you are passing up, what you have lost with your treacherous betrayal!"

Anakin smiled grimly. "On the contrary, I know exactly what I've lost," he countered, repelling the old man's lunge easily. Palpatine's fear increased when he realized that there would be no convincing Anakin. The young man before him was not the same one he had known since he was a boy; he was not the same insecure, terrified youth who only that morning had discovered Palpatine's secret. No, this man was sure of himself, and calm. And most terrifying of all, Palpatine sensed no darkness in him at all. It was as though something had purged it from him, leaving behind the Jedi that Anakin Skywalker was always meant to be.

Anakin read the thoughts of his one time master easily and smiled. "You won't win this time," he told Palpatine again. "I will _not _turn to the Dark Side, Sidious. I am a Jedi, as the Force intended me to be."

Palpatine's face twisted in rage as he pushed forward, doing his utmost to best the young man. But Anakin was simply too strong, and had the advantage of youth on his side. He flipped over the old man easily, forcing Palpatine to move quickly to defend himself against Anakin's assault.

On the other side of the room, Mace Windu was slowly coming around. He squinted his eyes in pain as he beheld the spectacle before him. Anakin's blade was slashing furiously against the red blade of the Dark Lord, forcing Palpatine to back up in a defensive posture. Rising to his feet, Windu called his lightsaber to his hand in order to help Anakin defeat Palpatine.

"We've got him now, Anakin!" Windu shouted as he moved to join the fight. His sudden appearance distracted Anakin for a moment, which was all Palpatine needed to gain an advantage. Force pushing Anakin with one hand, Palpatine advanced upon the young Jedi, who had stumbled backwards.

"Not so fast, Lord Sidious," Mace warned as he stole up upon the Sith. "This ends now, you Sith disease."

Palpatine smiled. "You know, I've never liked you, Master Windu," he said, summoning the large paper weight from his desk and hurling it in his direction. Windu ducked and the paperweight smashed against the wall, leaving a large hole in it. While Palpatine was busy firing objects at Mace Windu, Anakin regained his footing and advanced upon the old man once more. He raised his lightsaber high above his head, preparing to decapitate the evil Sith.

Palpatine saw Anakin's movements from the corner of his eye, and lunged towards him, sending the tip of his lightsaber into Anakin's midsection.

Anakin shouted in pain, but held his lightsaber aloft, his hands trembling from the exertion and pain. With the last ounce of strength he had he pushed Palpatine backwards, impaling the Sith upon the purple blade of Mace Windu. Palpatine's eyes bulged, and then he fell face down on the floor, dead.

"Anakin!" Mace shouted as Anakin dropped to his knees.

"He's dead," Anakin panted, "right? He's gone?"

Windu nodded. "Yes, you did it, Anakin," he assured the young man. "We did it together. The Sith is no more."

Anakin smiled weakly as the room grew dim. Losing consciousness at last, the Chosen One collapsed into the arms of a very humbled and awed Jedi Master.

_500 Republica Boulevard _

Padmé Amidala Skywalker held up the knitting that she's been working on and examined it. For all her good intentions, she could not seem to get the hang of it, and each attempt turned out more lop sided than the last. Anakin liked to tease her about it; secretly he was happy that there was at least one thing she didn't do perfectly. Padmé's brow furrowed now as she thought of her husband. He had been going through a personal crisis lately, one that had created great changes in him. Padmé knew that he was afraid that his dreams would come true, despite all her assurances that it was highly unlikely. Coruscant had the best medical facilities in the sector after all; in the improbable event that should something happen, there would be plenty of medical experts to look after her.

Yet, there was more to Anakin's recent transformation than simply the dreams he'd been having. There was an edge to him now, far more evident than it had ever been. He had begun to question the very principles he had henceforth held so dear, and Padmé was beginning to grow frightened.

Setting the knitting down in frustration, Padmé ran a hand over her large belly which had become impossible to hide. She'd told no one, not even Anakin, that she was carrying twins. She smiled as she thought of how surprised Anakin would be when she gave birth to not one but two babies in another few weeks.

"Milady, there's a Mace Windu here to see you."

Padmé looked up at Dormé, startled by her sudden appearance. "Master Windu?" she asked.

Dormé nodded. "Should I show him in?"

"Yes, please do so at once," Padmé replied. She gathered the folds of her cloak around her in a vain attempt to hide her belly as Mace Windu entered the room.

"Senator Amidala," he began, sitting down beside her. "I'm sorry to intrude upon you at home."

Padmé noticed his eyes as they looked at her obviously pregnant belly and then back up at her. "Not at all, Master Windu," she replied. "What can I do for you?"

"It's Anakin, Milady," Windu told her without preamble. "He's been injured."

Padmé was unable to hide the panic in her expression or her voice. "Anakin? Hurt? How badly? Where is he?? Is he alright?"

Windu nodded. "He's at the medical center right now," he told her. "I came over here as soon as he was checked in." He stopped, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "I…I know about your marriage, Senator," he told her, looking down at his hands which rested upon his knees. "I know you and Anakin are married."

Padmé didn't know how to respond. They had kept their secret so well for three years now, she was almost afraid to admit it. "How? How do you know?"

"That's not important right now," Windu said standing up.

"You're right," she replied, pushing herself up from the sofa, revealing her swollen belly to the Jedi Master. She put a hand on her abdomen as she faced him. "Please take me to him," she asked.

Windu nodded. "Let's go," he said, leading the way out of the apartment.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_Medical Center- Coruscant _

Anakin awoke to the sensation of pain. It radiated down the left side of his body, a dull, throbbing ache that reminded Anakin of events that had taken place in Palpatine's office earlier. _Palpatine was dead…that much as been accomplished, _he thought as he fought to open his eyes. The pain killers were making it difficult, though, and he rolled his head on the pillow in weak frustration. And then he felt it; the warm, soothing presence of the woman he loved more than life itself, his Angel. He opened his eyes, finding the strength to do so, and was rewarded with the face he'd been missing for what seemed like a lifetime.

"Ani," Padmé said, stroking his face, "don't push yourself. Just relax."

Anakin nodded, just drinking in every detail of his beloved's face. "I missed you," he said softly. "So much."

Padmé was confused by his words, for it had only been since that morning that he had last seen her. Judging that he was feeling the effects of the pain killers, she thought nothing of it and simply stroked his hair softly. "I'm here," she assured him. "And you're going to be just fine; the doctors have told me so."

"Good," he whispered, feeling drowsy once more. "How are the babies?" he asked sleepily as he closed his eyes.

Padmé looked at him in surprise. "Babies??"

Anakin opened one eye and looked up at her. "Yes, Luke and Leia," he said, enjoying the expression on her face. "When were you going to tell me there were two?"

Padmé smiled. "I wasn't," she told him. "I was going to let you be surprised when they were born. And now you've gone and ruined my surprise."

Anakin chuckled. "Sorry Angel," he said as his eyes drifted closed again.

Padmé watched him as he drifted off again, and then bent to him and planted a soft kiss on his mouth. "No you're not," she told him softly.

The door slid open and a medical droid walked in to check on Anakin.

"How long will he need to stay here?" Padmé asked it.

"Not long," it informed her. "He has sustained a deep laceration to his left flank, but no major organs were damaged."

"Thank the Maker for that," Padmé sighed. "So when should I expect to take him home?"

"The doctor will want to keep him here for a few hours just for observation," the droid replied. "In case of fever."

"I see," Padmé replied, her eyes falling back onto Anakin's face. All she wanted was to take him home and look after him and await the birth of the twins. She smiled, realizing that it had been silly of her to think that she could surprise Anakin with anything, much less this.

_Utapau _

Obi-Wan Kenobi was certain he'd heard the message incorrectly, and asked for clarification.

"The Chancellor is dead," Mace Windu's tiny holographic image repeated. "He was a Sith, Obi-Wan," he continued. "And Anakin Skywalker killed him."

_How could so much happen in such a short time?? I've barely been gone two weeks! _

"Is Anakin well?" Obi-Wan asked, anxious about his former padawan and best friend.

"He's in the hospital," Windu replied. "But he's being released later tonight. He'll be fine."

"Thank the Force for that," Obi-Wan said. "This is all very …startling, Master Windu," he said. "How was it we didn't know Palpatine was a Sith Lord?"

Windu snorted. "There's a lot we didn't know about," he told Obi-Wan. "Seems Palpatine wasn't the only one living a double life."

Obi-Wan frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean your padawan, Anakin Skywalker," Windu replied. "Were you aware that he is married to Senator Amidala? And that they are expecting a child shortly?"  
Obi-Wan sat in the cockpit of his fighter in stunned silence. "Are you certain about this, Master Windu?" he asked at last.

Windu nodded. "Very," he replied. "I take it you knew nothing of this."

"No, nothing," Obi-Wan replied quietly, feeling quite stung. "I'm on my way back to the capital," he said. "The clones have things well in hand here."

"Good," Windu said. "Anakin is coming to speak to the Council first thing tomorrow morning. We'll need you there, Master Kenobi."

"I'll be there," Obi-Wan assured him. "Until then." He closed the transmission as the feeling of anxiety welled up within him. "Why didn't you tell me, Anakin?" he asked no one in particular. "Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me?"

_500 Republica Boulevard _

_It's good to be home, _Anakin reflected as he stretched in the large bed he shared with his wife. He regretted the stretch at once, for the torn muscles ached in protest as he did so.

"Padmé?" he called when he realized that he was alone. "Where are you, Angel?"

"In here," she called back from the fresher. She emerged at once, rubbing her wet hair with a towel. She wore her bathrobe, which she had tied around her rather elongated waist. Anakin smiled when he noted how short the belt of her robe had become. "You okay?" she asked, a look of concern on her face.

Anakin nodded, opening his arms to her. "Come here, Angel," he said.

Padmé set the towel down on the end of the bed and walked over to sit beside him. "Are you alright?" she asked again, running her fingers through his tousled hair as he sat up.

"Yes, I'm just fine," he assured her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He simply looked at her for a moment, almost afraid to take his eyes from her lest she disappear.

The change in Anakin did not go unnoticed by his wife. For weeks Anakin had been under such tremendous stress that his moods had become mercurial, and Padmé was concerned about him. Often sullen, often secretive, he had begun to morph into someone else over the past few weeks, ever since he'd come back from the Outer Rims, ever since the nightmares had started. But now, everything was different. He seemed more like the Anakin Skywalker she'd married now more than he had in months. She wondered what had caused the change, but was not sure how to ask without upsetting him.

"So how long have you known about the twins?" she asked him as he ran his large hand lovingly over her belly.

He looked at her. "Not long," he replied. He stopped, unsure if he ought to tell her what he'd just experienced. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?" he asked as last.

"I'm not sure," she replied, putting her hand over his. "I guess you've been so …stressed lately, I was kind of afraid of burdening you with more."

Anakin frowned. "Burdening me??" he asked. "Why would you ever think such a thing?"

Padmé shrugged. "Well, ever since you found out I'm pregnant you've been very tense, Ani," she told him. "The dreams, the worry of keeping it secret; and now that secret is twice as big as we originally thought. I guess I just didn't want to give you anything more to worry about."

Anakin lowered his eyes. "I never should have made you feel that way," he told her. "And I promise you that things will be different from now on. You are my first priority, Padmé," he told her, looking up at her. "You and our children. If I have to give up the Order I will, nothing is more important to me than our family."

Padmé smiled. "Let's just hope it doesn't come down to that," she said. "After what you did to save the Jedi, to save the galaxy from Palpatine, they couldn't possibly dismiss you from the Order."

Anakin sighed. "I suppose we'll see very soon, won't we?" he asked. "They're expecting me at 0900 hours."

"Then we'd better get dressed," she said.

"We?"

She nodded. "We're in this together now, Anakin. The secret is out, and to be honest, I'm relieved it is. And now that it is, I'm not going to let you go through anything alone ever again."

Anakin pulled her close to embrace her. "Is it any wonder I love you so much?" he asked her softly.

Padmé smiled. "Come on; let's get going. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

Anakin was rather pensive on the way over to the Jedi Temple. While he was happy that Padmé would be there with him when he faced the Jedi inquisitors, there was no doubt that what he had to tell them would be upsetting to her. Upsetting? No, devastating. _But that's all changed now; it won't happen that way now. _

"Padmé, I want you to know something before we get there," Anakin said at last. Padmé looked at him expectantly.

"You will hear some very disturbing things," he told her. "And I just want you to know that you needn't worry about any of them ever happening."

Padmé frowned, not understanding what he was getting at. "Ani, what things? What do you mean?"

Anakin sighed. "There's no easy way to explain it," he told her. "But just remember that, alright? No matter what you hear me say, know that everything has been fixed now."

"You're scaring me, Anakin," she told him.

Anakin reached over and took her hand. "I'm sorry," he told her. "But it can't be helped. Just trust me, okay? Trust that I've made everything right now."

"I trust you with my life, Anakin," she told him. "You know that."

The irony of her words hit him hard, and he gave her hand a squeeze as the Jedi temple came into view.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Mace Windu stood looking outside the enormous window of the Council chamber as he awaited the other members of the council to arrive. He had not been able to put the incredible turn of events out of his mind, and found himself humbled by the experience.

Ever since he had met Anakin Skywalker as a young boy, Windu had found ways to belittle the boy, to put him down and detract from Anakin's enormous talent. He even expressed doubts that he was in fact the Chosen One. But those doubts had been allayed irrevocably now. But clearly there was more to this young man then anyone knew; he had hidden his marriage for years, and was now about to become a father, something unprecedented in the Jedi Order. He had broken all the rules, that was what the logical, rational and objective side of Windu was telling him. He broke the rules and he ought to be punished. But should the same rules apply to someone like Anakin Skywalker? He himself was an exception to every rule, his very existence an anomaly unto itself. More importantly, how could the Order turn their back on him now, after what he had done?

"Good morning Master Windu."

Windu turned to see Obi-Wan Kenobi standing behind him. Judging by the look on his face, he'd had about as much sleep as he himself had had.

"Hello Obi-Wan," Windu answered. "I hope you had a pleasant journey from Utapau."

Obi-Wan lifted an eyebrow. "Pleasant?" he repeated. "I found out my best friend and one time padawan has kept an enormous secret from me all these years; no, it wasn't exactly a pleasant trip I'm afraid."

Windu nodded in understanding, and then looked over as Masters Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi entered the great room. "Let's take our seats," he suggested. "Skywalker ought to be here soon."

And he was. It wasn't long before Anakin and Padmé walked into the council chamber hand in hand. All of the Jedi were seated and watched as the couple entered the room and walked to the center of the rotunda.

"Please sit down," Obi-Wan said. Anakin looked directly at him, not realizing how emotional a moment it would be to see him again. _It's good to see you, old friend, _he told Obi-Wan silently. Obi-Wan merely smiled ever so slightly in return, and then looked over to Yoda who was to lead the meeting.

"Welcome you, we do, Senator Amidala," Yoda began, addressing Padmé first. "Surprised, however, that you are here."

Padmé looked at her husband briefly before turning back to Yoda. "I'm here to support Anakin," she replied. "In any way I can," she added.

Anakin reached over and took her hand, not caring if the Jedi disapproved. He'd decided that he didn't care much about anything in fact; he had seen the future, he knew that nothing could be as horrible as that vision of violence and brutality that he'd had a hand in creating. He looked at his wife now, so radiant and heavy with his children, and knew that there was nothing more important than her and their twins. Nothing.

"First of all, we want to thank you for what you have done in alerting us to the Sith Lord," Windu spoke up. "We've been blind all these years, trusting Palpatine and empowering him. If it weren't for you, Skywalker…well I hate to think of what might have happened."

"I can tell you exactly what would have happened," Anakin replied. "You see, I've seen the future. The Force sent me twenty years into the future, and what I saw there was beyond description."

Anakin's words were met with silence, for not one being present had expected this, including Padmé. She turned to him now, her face a picture of stunned apprehension. "You saw the future, Ani?" she asked.

Anakin turned to her. "Yes," he replied. "I saw everything." He looked down at the hand he held in his. "It was a nightmare, Padmé; a horrific vision of violence and chaos. And I was at the center of it all," he concluded looking up at the assembly.

"Perhaps you need to start at the beginning, Anakin," Obi-Wan suggested. "This is all very…extraordinary."

Anakin nodded. "I know it is," he agreed. "I know it sounds… insane. But to begin at the beginning, I need to go back to the day we arrived back from rescuing the Chancellor. That day was to become the happiest day of my life," he told them, smiling at the memory. "For it was that day that I found out I was going to be father," he added, turning to Padmé.

The assembled Jedi were rather uneasy at this statement and said nothing. Obi-Wan, however, needed to know more.

"How long have you been married?" he asked, looking at both Anakin and then Padmé.

"More than three years," Padmé told him. "We were married shortly after the war began," she added.

"You knew that marriage was against the Code," Windu felt the need to point out at this point.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, I knew," he replied. "Believe me; we knew the risks we were taking. But we couldn't stay apart," he explained, looking at Padmé with open adoration. "Judge me if you will, but I know my life without Padmé would be meaningless."

"Continue, Anakin," Yoda said.

Anakin looked at the ancient master. "You'll remember I came to you, Master Yoda, to ask your advice about dreams I'd been having."

Yoda nodded. "Dreams of losing someone close to you," he remembered.

"It was Padmé that I was dreaming of," Anakin said. "I dreamed of her dying in childbirth, and became so desperate to save her that I was willing to do anything to save her. Palpatine knew that, and he preyed on my fears. He told me that through the Dark Side, and only through the Dark Side, would I be able to save her."

Padmé squeezed Anakin's hand hard at this, his words shocking her to her very core. "Ani, why didn't you tell me? You should have come to me!"

Anakin shook his head. "I didn't want to worry you," he told her. "Besides, what could you have done? I was so …obsessed I wouldn't have listened to anyone, even you." He paused as he recalled the dire words of Obi-Wan's ghostly apparition. "In the future I saw, I _did _turn to the Dark Side," he said quietly. "I let Master Windu die, and saved the life of Palpatine instead." He looked up at the shocked faces of the Jedi. "He ordered something called Order 66, which was meant for the clones. Every clone commander in every sector heard Palpatine give this order, and …" he stopped as the horror of what came next overwhelmed him.

"What?? What happened?" Windu demanded.

Anakin looked up at him, his blue eyes shrouded with tears. "They killed the Jedi," he said quietly. "Every Jedi in every sector of the galaxy was slaughtered, every man, woman and youngling. I…I lead a squadron here into the temple and personally saw to the killing of the younglings." He covered his face in his hands at this point, the monstrosities of his future self too much to bear.

The silence in the council chamber was oppressive, as each member of the council digested what Anakin had just told them. The Jedi Order…wiped out…rendered extinct, all by the orders of one man.

Padmé sat at her husband's side listening too, her mind refusing to believe what he was saying. _Anakin would never kill younglings, never! _She averred. But he had seen it happened, he had seen the future. A question was burning its way into her mind, one that would not be ignored, and yet one that she was terrified to ask.

"Anakin, what about me? What about us?" she asked him. "If you turned to the Dark Side and did all those horrible things….did our marriage end? Did you leave me?" she asked her voice tremulous with emotion.

Anakin turned to her, his eyes full of pain and sorrow. "Not in the way you're thinking," he told her. He ran his hands through his hair as he steadied his nerves to continue his painful narrative. "Only two of you escaped the carnage," he told the stunned group of Jedi. "You, Master Yoda, and you, Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan followed Padmé to find me, on Mustafar, where Palpatine had sent me to kill the separatist leaders gathered there. When I saw you coming off of Padmé's ship, I …I must have snapped. I don't know all the details, I didn't want to know…but I know this much. I…I attacked you," he said, turning to Padmé. "I almost killed you," he whispered, the hot tears streaming down his face. "And would have if Obi-Wan hadn't arrived when he had."

Padmé stared at her husband, the love of her life, the man she'd endure anything for, not able to comprehend what he was telling her. "Why?" she asked at last, her voice no more than a whisper. "Why would your have done that, Anakin?"

Anakin shook his head. "I cannot begin to understand, Padmé," he told her. "I was deeply entrenched in the Dark Side by this point, and, from the sound of it, quite mad. How I could ever lash out at you, my angel…." He stopped and took her face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers as he fought for control of his emotions.

The Jedi looked at one another, growing more and more unnerved by Anakin's narrative. Not one present had any inkling of the latent darkness that was apparently manifested within him. Not one dared to consider what could have happened had he failed in his duel against Palpatine.

"We fought, you and me," Anakin continued, looking at Obi-Wan. "I was badly injured, and placed in an artificial respirator. I wore a black helmet and mask; I was more machine than man. And Padmé," he said, turning to his wife once more. "You died," he said quietly, the tears starting anew. "You gave birth to our son and our daughter, and then you died."

Padmé could feel her heart pounding within her, the anxiety welling up inside of her, turning her insides cold. "And the babies?" she asked softly, putting a hand on her abdomen. "What of Luke and Leia?"

"Luke was raised on Tatooine by my step-brother, Owen, and his wife," Anakin told her. "Leia was adopted by Bail Organa and raised as a princess in his household."

"How do you know this?" Windu asked. "How long were you there for?"

"Only four weeks, in their time," Anakin replied. "But in that time I met both of them," he told Padmé. "I met Luke and Leia." A smile made its way through the despair he was feeling, the thought of his remarkable children lifting the gloom from his heart. "They were …extraordinary, both of them," he continued. "And leaders in a rebellion against the Empire that had been created by Palpatine."

"Your children were part of a rebellion?" Obi-Wan asked. "Against an Empire that you served in?"

Anakin nodded. "Only I didn't know about them, not until Luke was about twenty I think," he replied. "I thought they'd died when Padmé did. It wasn't until I heard the name Luke Skywalker for the first time that I knew Palpatine had lied."

"Lied about what?" Obi-Wan asked. "Or should I say what else?"

"He told Darth Vader, which is the name I took when I became a Sith, that Padmé had died because of what had happened at Mustafar," Anakin explained. "Vader lived for two decades believing he'd killed Padmé," he said, shaking his head.

"Seems there was no end to Palpatine's perversities," Obi-Wan commented bitterly. "What about Yoda and me? What role did we play in all of this?"

Anakin hesitated before responding, which heightened the anxiety of everyone in the room. "Both of you had a part in training Luke," he said at last. "When I saw him last, he was well on his way to becoming a full fledged Jedi knight."

"So they were involved in the rebellion?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

"No," Anakin replied. "Master Yoda I never saw, and you, Obi-Wan," he said, looking at his best friend. "You were killed shortly before I got there. Killed by Darth Vader."

This disclosure unnerved Obi-Wan, and his normally composed countenance betrayed the shock he felt. "You…killed me, Anakin? You did??"

"Not me," Anakin corrected him. "Vader did. He was a monster," he added quietly. "He …imprisoned and tortured Leia fought a duel with Luke that took the boy's hand and left him emotionally distraught…he was the embodiment of Darkness. And yet, if it weren't for him, I may not be sitting here right now telling you all this."

"What do you mean?" Windu asked.

"It was Vader who revealed to me what Palpatine did on that day in the Senate office," Anakin continued. "I had been sent to the future to see the results of my actions on that day, the fall out of a decision I'd made. Only I didn't know what decision it was; Vader told me. He told me to kill Palpatine, no matter what."

"And you did just that," Obi-Wan pointed out. "I suppose even in Darkness there was a tiny bit of you left in him," he commented.

Anakin nodded. "He was a man of great pain, great sorrow and suffering," he reflected. "He wanted me to tell you something," he said, turning to Padmé, who had been sitting in stunned silence all this time.

"What?" she asked softly.

"He told me to tell you that he loved you," Anakin told her. "That despite everything, he never stopped loving you."

This was too much for Padmé, and she covered her face with her hands and wept. Anakin put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

The Jedi assembled around them were rendered speechless by all that Anakin had told them. Not one could offer a comment or even ask a question; it was simply too much to assimilate all at once.

"I'm going to take my wife home now," Anakin said, looking up at the Jedi. "This has been very difficult for her. You have a decision to make about me, I know that. I know I broke the code, and I know that the punishment for that is expulsion." He stood up, wincing ever so much from the pain that still radiated through his side. "You do what you have to do," he said. "But know this; if you ask me to choose between being a Jedi and being a father and husband, I will choose the latter without hesitation." He turned to Padmé and helped her up out of the low chair, slipping an arm around her waist as they left the room without another word, casting the Jedi council into dumfounded silence.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-three**

Anakin and Padmé left the Jedi temple hand in hand, both silent, both upset by the meeting they'd had in the council chambers. Anakin was concerned about his wife, for she had said very little since learning of the horrifying events he'd described.

"Are you alright, Angel?" he asked her as he held open the speeder door for her.

Padmé did not respond at once, and Anakin began to grow more worried. He looked at her, noting the distraught expression on her face.

"Angel?" he said again.

Padmé turned to him. "I think you need to take me to the hospital," she told him.

Anakin became alarmed immediately. "Why?" he asked. "What's wrong? Is it the babies??"

Padmé nodded. "I think I'm in labor," she told him. "But I'm not sure."

Anakin didn't wait for further explanation, and took off at once, directing the speeder to the other side of town where the medical center was located.

"I thought you had at least three more weeks to go," Anakin said as they raced through the city.

"That's true," she replied. "But the doctor also told me with twins they can come early." She hesitated before continuing. "She also warned me about undo stress, and that sometimes that can bring on labor early."

Anakin nodded his understanding, cursing himself silently for allowing Padmé to attend the session with the Jedi. Undo stress? _Finding out your husband attacked you and you died in the future…that your precious babies were split up and raised as strangers…that the republic you cherish was destroyed and replaced with an evil empire…that would definitely cause stress_, he reflected bitterly.

"What makes you think this is the real thing?" he asked her.

"I've had a few mild contractions," she told him. She tightened her grip on the arm rest. "There's another one now," she told him, closing her eyes.

Anakin put his hand over hers, giving her comfort in the only way he knew how at this point. "We'll be there soon, Angel," he told her. "Almost there."

Padmé simply nodded as she breathed through the contraction as she'd learned to do at the birthing class she'd taken. She had taken the class with Dormé, for Anakin had been absent for the first two trimesters, and for the large part of the third, he'd been too busy or preoccupied to do so. _He has no idea what to expect, _she reflected grimly. Childbirth was no picnic in a grassy meadow; she only hoped that Anakin was up to the task of supporting her. She needed him to support her, now more than ever. He'd been off at war when she'd found out the startling news of her pregnancy, when she'd suffered the nausea and fatigue of early pregnancy; he'd been absent when she'd heard the twins' hearts beat for the first time and saw the first hologram of their tiny, fetal forms. But now, at the end of the long journey, she needed him most.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all that back there," Anakin said after a few moments. "I can only imagine how it must have made you feel."

"I can't begin to understand how you could have become that monster you described," she told him, her eyes looking forward. "I don't know how you could do such things," she added, shaking her head. "The thought of you killing younglings, attacking me…" she stopped as her emotions got the better of her.

Anakin held her hand. "I don't understand it either," he told her. "But rest assured, that future has been eradicated, Padmé. Palpatine is dead. There will be no Jedi purges, there will be no Empire. From this moment on I am devoting my life to you and our children, Padmé. Seeing that future made me realize that there is nothing more important than family. Luke and Leia grew up without each other, without us. I would sacrifice anything to make sure that doesn't happen, Padmé. Even giving up being a Jedi."

Padmé turned to him and smiled. "I know," she told him softly. "I know that future will never happen. You've seen to that, Anakin. I've seen a change in you, and I'm sure that is because of the experience you've had. I've been so worried about you lately; I've felt as though you were drifting away from me. Now I know why you were, now I understand, and I can't tell you how relieved I am that you've come back to me."

Anakin said nothing, but picked up her hand and kissed it tenderly.

Anakin made it to the medical center in record time, and helped Padmé out of the speeder, guiding her carefully towards the entrance.

"You alright?" he kept asking her.

"Ani, try to relax," she finally told him. "Labor is a very long process in most cases. It could be hours before I'm ready to deliver."

Anakin frowned. "I don't know anything," he thought with dismay and frustration. "I want to help you in any way I can, but I never got to even one class, as much as I intended to…" he stopped as she squeezed his hand, heralding another contraction. Anakin felt helpless, and simply let her hold his hand while he used the other one to rub her back until the contraction abated.

"Let's get you checked in," he said as she released her grip.

Padmé nodded, and walked with him into the receiving area of the medical center.

_Jedi Temple _

Several minutes had passed since the departure of Anakin and Padmé before anyone spoke. Finally Master Ki-Adi Mundi spoke up.

"I'm not sure how to put this delicately," he began tentatively, "so I'll be perfectly blunt. I think Skywalker is lying."

Obi-Wan looked at the man sharply. "Are you serious, Master Mundi?" he asked.

"Very serious," he replied. "How do we know he's telling the truth? This could all be an elaborate scheme on his part."

"To what end?" Obi-Wan asked. "You saw the mental anguish he's going through; why would make up such a horrific scenario?'

"Perhaps he's gone mad," suggested another Jedi.

Finally Mace Windu spoke up. "No, he's not mad," he said. "We'd be able to sense it if he were."

"But surely one such as Skywalker could cover up if he were lying," Mundi suggested.

"Again I ask you, to what end?" Ob-Wan persisted. "Why would he put his wife through such an ordeal? She was obviously very upset by what he told us."

"Perhaps he did it for her," Mundi suggested. "Perhaps he knew that their marriage could not be kept secret any longer now that she is so obviously with child. Could he be attempting to deflect our attention from his blatant disregard for the Code by making up this elaborate tale?"

This statement was followed by a heavy silence as all assembled considered this. No one in the history of the Jedi had ever dared to marry; but then again, there had never been a Jedi that could rival Anakin Skywalker.

"No," Windu spoke up at last. "He's not lying. He's telling the truth, all of it. I'm certain of it."

"How can you be so certain?" Mundi challenged. "The man obviously has no regard for our precepts or laws if he would not have been so audacious as to take a wife! How are we to know that he can be trusted?"

Windu looked at him. "Because I saw what Palpatine really was," he retorted. "I saw the monster he really was, lurking beneath the surface. He fooled all of us except Anakin. Anakin alone knew who and what he was. And if it weren't for that knowledge…." He stopped as he remembered how Anakin had described the slaughter of the Jedi. "We owe him our very existence, gentlemen. There can be no denying that."

Yoda, who had remained silent at this point, nodded his head approvingly at Windu's words. "Agree with Master Windu, I do," he said at last. "A change in Anakin I have sensed. Always with him I have sensed Darkness, fear, aggression. Afraid I have been for his future. But now, a shift I have sensed from the edge of darkness into the light. Changed he is, the vision of the future has changed him, for he has seen what the Darkness could do if left unchecked. Never again will he be tempted by it. Destroyed the Sith he has."

"He _is _the Chosen One, then," Obi-Wan said softly. "He has fulfilled the prophecy, but has done so in a way that none of us had foreseen. Who could have ever imagined a trip to the future was possible."

Yoda nodded. "Through the Force all things are possible," he reminded Obi-Wan.

"The question still remains, though," Master Mundi spoke up. "What do we do about Skywalker's marriage?"

"You heard the man," Windu replied. "He would rather be expelled from the order rather than give up his marriage. Clearly he loves Senator Amidala a great deal." He looked at Obi-Wan. "You had no hint of this?" he asked.

"I knew that he and the senator were friends," Obi-Wan replied. "As we all did. But now that I know, it does make sense. He was always so anxious to get back here, to Coruscant; sometimes to the point of obsession. If only he'd confided in me," he said, shaking his head.

"How could he?" Mundi said. "He knew the risk he ran by marrying. He knew you would have no choice but to turn him in."

Obi-Wan nodded, wondering if he actually would have done so had Anakin decided to trust him with his secret.

"In any event, there is a more pressing matter that needs our attention," Windu spoke up again. "There has never been a child born to a Jedi in the history of the Order. And now there are about to be two. If we expel Anakin from the Order, the twins will be lost to us. Do any of us here want to see that happen?"

"Is that the only reason we'd allow him to remain a Jedi?" Obi-Wan asked. "In order to take his children from him?" he looked around at his the other masters. "Do we really think either he or Padmé would allow us to even if we wanted to?"

"These children are the offspring of the most powerful Jedi Knight who has ever existed," Mundi pointed out. "They must be trained to use their powers, their potential is simply too great to leave untrained. Skywalker has to see this."

Obi-Wan looked at the master, a frown creasing his brow. "You have certainly changed your tune, Master Mundi," he commented. "Moments ago you were convinced Anakin was lying, and now you expect him to hand over his children to us."

"No one expects that," Windu put in. "But this situation is…unprecedented. Anakin has saved us all from our own short sightedness. Surely that has earned him some latitude."

"What are you suggesting?" Mundi asked.

Windu sighed, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "All I know is that we simply can't toss Anakin aside after what he has done for us. For the galaxy."

Yoda nodded. "Meditate on this, we must," he suggested. "A difficult decision this is, one that requires serious attention."

"I agree," Obi-Wan replied. "We owe Anakin at least that much."

The other Jedi masters nodded in agreement.

_Medical Center _

"You're progressing nicely, Mrs. Skywalker," the nurse told Padmé as she finished her examination.

"So when can we expect the babies to arrive?" Anakin asked anxiously.

"Oh you have a few hours to go yet, I'm afraid," the nurse told him with a smile. "There's no way of predicting exactly when."

Anakin nodded his understanding. The waiting was making him crazy; seeing Padmé's contractions growing progressively more painful even more so. He felt powerless to do anything to help her, and frustrated that he knew so little about what was going on. All he could do was be there for her, which, he reflected was far more than he'd done in the future he'd witnessed. No, Padmé had gone through the ordeal of labor and childbirth without him, had suffered terribly, and had died shortly after the twins were born. _But not this time, _he vowed. _This time things will be different, _he thought as he looked down at her. And then he realized something.

"Padmé, the vision," he told her. "It's gone, the vision is gone!"  
Padmé looked up at him, trying to get some rest between contractions. "Vision?" she asked tiredly.

Anakin nodded. "The dream I had," he told her. "In that dream you wore a white gown," he told her. "And the place was totally different. Look, you're wearing a green gown, and this place," he added, looking around, "is nothing like the place I saw in my vision. I did it, Padmé! I changed the future!!"

Padmé smiled, and placed a hand on his cheek. "You did that when you killed Palpatine," she told him.

"Yes, part of it," he agreed. "But your destiny was still uncertain. But now I know, I know that your destiny has changed too. I saved you, Padmé," he told her, his eyes filling with tears. "I finally found a way to save you!"

Padmé took his face into her hands and looked into his eyes deeply. "You saved me when you chose light over darkness," she told him, "when you chose our family over Palpatine."

"Yes," he agreed. "And now we'll be able to raise our children together," he told her. He smiled. "Wait until you meet them," he said. "They are amazing."

Padmé smiled. "Well we won't have long to wait," she told him. "Of course, they won't exactly be the way you remember them," she added.

"No," he said. "But one day they will. They can't wait to meet you," he told her, taking her hand. "They wanted me to tell you how much they love you," he added.

Padmé felt her eyes fill up with tears at this, but the tender moment was interrupted by a contraction. It seemed as though the twins had overheard their parents' conversation and were eager to show their mother just how anxious they were to meet her.

"Breathe, Angel," Anakin told her, having taken notes over the past few hours. He held her hand as she took deep breaths, noting that the intensity and length of the contractions were increasing. Not only that, they were getting closer together. Much closer. "Not much longer," he told her in an attempt to comfort her.

Padmé nodded as she struggled through the contraction, hoping that he was right.

_500 Republica Boulevard _

"Come in Master Kenobi," Dormé said as she greeted Obi-Wan at the door.

"Thank you Dormé," Obi-Wan replied, stepping into the luxurious apartment. He looked around briefly, sensing at once that Anakin was not present. "May I ask where Anakin is?"

"He and Senator Amidala are at the medical center," she told him. "He contacted me a short time ago. Milady is in labor."

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? Already? Isn't that soon?"

"A little," Dormé replied. "But not so early to be alarmed."

"Ah, good," Obi-Wan responded. "Well I will make my way over there now if you'll excuse me."

"I was going there myself to bring Milady a few things," she told him. "Can I ride with you?"

"Of course," Obi-Wan replied. "Let's be off."

_Medical Center _

"Ani, it hurts! It hurts!!" Padmé cried. She was in the most intense stage of her labor, the transition stage, at her contractions were coming in rapid succession.

Anakin hated seeing her this way, and felt helpless and ineffective. "I know, Angel, I know," he said soothingly. "It's almost done, though."

Padmé looked up at him. "How would you know??" she snapped. "You're not the one going through this! You had the easy part!"

Anakin tried not to smile at his normally serene wife's accusations. "I know I did," he agreed. "I was there, remember?"

She frowned at him. "You think this is funny?" she cried. "You think I'm having fun??"

_No, the vision was nothing like this, _he decided. _She is going to be just fine. _"No, I'm sure you're not," he agreed. "I apologize for getting you into this, Angel. It's all my fault."

"Yes, it is," she retorted, wincing in pain.

"Even though you forgot the birth control pills," he countered, unable to resist.

She looked at him again, about to launch into a tirade that would have made her mother's hair curl when the nurse entered the room.

"How are we doing?" she had the misfortune to ask.

"How do you think?" Padmé retorted. "When is this going to be over?? I can't take it anymore!"

The nurse smiled, no doubt having taken many a laboring woman's abuse in her time. "Let's check you out," she said as she moved to the end of the bed.

Anakin watched as she examined Padmé, hoping against hope that she would be able to deliver soon. A light knock was heard on the door, and Anakin turned to answer it. To his surprise, it was Obi-Wan and Dormé.

"How's Milady?" Dormé asked.

"She's close," Anakin said. "She's pretty mad at me," he added with a hint of a smile.

"Why?" Dormé asked.

"Because I got her pregnant," Anakin replied with a smile.

Dormé was embarrassed and looked towards the bed. "May I go in?" she asked.

"Go ahead," Anakin said. "Brace yourself, she's pretty grouchy."

Dormé smiled, and proceeded into the room.

"So you're about to become a father," Obi-Wan said when he and Anakin were alone.

Anakin nodded, sensing how hurt his friend was that he'd been kept in the dark. "I'm sorry," he said simply. "You must feel betrayed," he added.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Well, yes," he agreed. "Though I can certainly understand why you didn't tell me."

"I'm glad you can," Anakin replied. He hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been lingering at the back of his mind. "And now that everyone knows, what's going to happen to me?" he asked.

"Well that's up to you," Obi-Wan responded.

Anakin frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"The Council has decided not to expel you from the Order," Obi-Wan informed him. "Given the manner in which you have rid the galaxy of the Sith, there was really no other decision to be made."

Anakin was surprised by this. "I…I don't know what to say," he replied.

"There's more," Obi-Wan continued. "You are also to be made a master," he told Anakin. "That is, if you wish to become one."

Anakin nodded, his mind wandering back to Padmé. "I can't think about this right now," he told Obi-Wan, sensing that she needed him. "Padmé needs me, my children need me," he continued. "I… appreciate the council's offer, but I will need to think about this. My life is about to change irrevocably, Obi-Wan. I don't know if I can do both."

"I understand," Obi-Wan replied. "Go to Padmé now," he said. "And witness the birth of your children."

Anakin smiled. "Thanks Obi-Wan," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for not being angry with me for not telling you."

"Well given the alternative future you described, I'm just relieved to have you on our side," he told him.

Anakin nodded, and then left his friend to return to his wife's side.

Luke and Leia Skywalker were born, in that order, a short time later. Their father was the first to hold them, his kiss was the first to touch their newborn skin, and his tears were the first to baptize them.

"Padmé, they're so beautiful," he said as each of them held a twin in their arms.

Padmé looked down at baby Leia in her arms, smiling through the tears of joy that filled her eyes. "Yes, they are," she agreed. She kissed the baby soft hair on Leia's head, the very shade of her mother's. She looked up at Anakin. "You were wonderful," she told him. "I don't know how I would have gone through that without you."

Anakin looked at her, seeing at once why it was she had died in the alternate future he'd seen. "There's no where else I'd be," he told her. "This is where I belong, Padmé, with you and our children," he added, looking down at his precious son in his arms. "Now I'm complete."


	25. Chapter 25

**Epilogue **

_Twenty years later _

Anakin watched anxiously as Luke fought ferociously against the Sith Lord. His son's green blade slashed against the red blade of his opponent, who, despite his age and seemingly feeble appearance was slowly gaining the advantage over the young padawan. It was all Anakin could do not to interfere, but he knew that he mustn't. This was Luke's moment, his test. And Anakin had every confidence that he would pass.

Luke pressed forward, forcing the Sith backwards. Anakin held his breath for a moment as Luke flipped over his foe, and then disarmed him neatly.

"Good," the Sith taunted, "Your hate has made you powerful. Use your weapon, I am unarmed. Strike me down, Skywalker, and you will know more power than you have ever dreamed possible. The powers I offer you can make you even more powerful than your father."

Luke shook his head, his exhaustion clear to all present. He hesitated barely a moment before he turned off his lightsaber and tossed it aside. "Never," he declared. "I'll never turn to the Dark Side. You've failed. Am a Jedi, like my father before me."

At once the Sith dissolved and disappeared, as Anakin smiled broadly. He stood up as the lights in the Hall of Knighthood came up, and one by one each of the Council members rose to their feet as well. There was a brief moment as the Masters conferred silently. The only sound to be heard was Luke's breathing as he caught his breath after the grueling last portion of his trial.

Luke stood in the center of the room, watching as one by one each of the Masters produced their lightsaber and ignited it. His father was the last one to do so, and stepped forward to meet his son in the center of the room. Anakin's eyes shone with tears of pride as he walked towards Luke, who looked up at his father with obvious adoration. There was nothing the young man wanted more than to make his father proud, and at this moment, he knew that Anakin was prouder of him than he had ever been.

"Step forward, Padawan Luke Skywalker," Anakin said, assuming the formality of his station as Luke's Master.

Luke stepped forward until he stood in front of his father. Anakin brought his lightsaber up and moved it over Luke's right shoulder, and then left shoulder. "By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee, Jedi Knight of the Republic," Anakin said as he used his lightsaber to slice his son's padawan braid off. He took it in his hand and handed it to Luke, who took it with a smile. There was no need for words between father and son, for their psychic link was so strong that they could hear one another's thoughts as clearly as though they were speaking aloud.

_I'm so proud of you, Luke. I knew you would make it. _

_I couldn't have done it without your help, Dad. _

Anakin smiled, and then put his hand on his son's shoulder. He turned to the rest of the council. "Honored Masters, I present to you Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker," he said.

Although it was highly unusual to do so, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi started to clap his hands. He had known the boy his entire life, and was almost as proud as Anakin that Luke had made it through the trials. It wasn't long before the other masters joined in his applause. Somehow conventions didn't quite matter so much at this point; Luke Skywalker was the first Jedi Knight to be born of a Jedi Knight, and as such, represented a new age, a new era for the Order and for the Republic.

"Come on," Anakin said to his son. "I know at least a few people who are anxious to congratulate you."

Luke grinned. "I bet," he said as his father put his arm around his shoulders.

"Congratulations Luke," Obi-Wan said as he came over to shake Luke's hand. "Very impressive."

"Thank you Master Obi-Wan," Luke replied. "I can still hardly believe it's really over," he added, looking down at the braid of golden hair in his hands.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Yes, I remember feeling that way myself," he replied. "Before we know it your younger brother and sister will be taking the trials as well," he added.

"Well, there's a few more years to go before either Qui-Gon or Shmi are ready," Anakin said. "They're still pretty young."

"Yes, but they're Skywalkers," Obi-Wan pointed out.

Anakin smiled. "True," he admitted. "Are you coming tonight?" he asked Obi-Wan.

"I wouldn't miss if for anything," Obi-Wan replied. "I'll meet you there later."

Anakin nodded, and then left the Hall with his son. Outside in the corridor were Luke's seventeen year old brother, Qui-Gon and fourteen year old sister, Shmi. Upon seeing their older brother, they ran over to him, checking for his braid. When Luke held it up for them with a grin, they both tackled him with hugs. Anakin watched with a smile, the pride he felt for his eldest son filling him.

"Let's go you three," he said at last. "Your mother is waiting for us."

Leia looked up from the datapad she was working on when she heard the door to her office open.

"You ready to go home, sweetheart?" Padmé asked her elder daughter.

"Almost," Leia replied.

"I wonder how Luke did," Padmé said as she took a seat in front of Leia's desk.

Leia focused for a moment on her twin, and then smiled. "He made it," she told her mother.

"Are you sure?" Padmé asked.

Leia nodded. "Absolutely," she replied. She herself had postponed her own Jedi training for the past year in order to serve as a senator in the Republican senate. Padmé had been recently elected as Chancellor, and so Leia had welcomed the opportunity to work with her.

Padmé smiled. "I don't suppose I should be surprised," she remarked. "He's wanted this for so long."

"Yes he has," Leia agreed. "I'm so proud of him," she added with a smile.

"So am I," Padmé agreed. "They'll be returning to the house; let's go so we can meet them there. That report can wait."

Leia looked up at her mother. "You don't think the chancellor will mind, do you?" she asked.

"No, not at all," Padmé replied with a smile. "Let's go."

That evening a grand celebratory party was held at the Skywalker home. Relatives from Naboo had been invited, as well as friends of the family and, of course, members of the Jedi Council. The large terrace behind the house had been decorated and tables set up so that the guests could enjoy the fine summer weather.

Anakin and Padmé were mingling with their guests when Leia walked in with a man that looked rather familiar to Anakin.

"Who is that man with Leia?" Anakin asked his wife.

Padmé looked over to where Leia and the tall, dark haired man were congratulating Luke. "Oh, that's the young man that Leia has been seeing lately," she said. "You remember? He's the personal pilot of the Corellian ambassador."

Anakin nodded, smiling as he remembered where he'd seen him before. "Han Solo, right?" he asked.

"Yes, that's right," she replied. "You know him?"

"Well, I did," he told her. "In a different reality."

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked. "You mean you saw Han in the future?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes, he and Leia were in love," he told her. "I told her that if they were meant to be together that Destiny would bring them together somehow."

Padmé smiled. "Looks like they're meant to be together," she remarked.

Anakin smiled. "Yes, so it seems," he agreed. "Let's go and say hello to our future son-in-law," he suggested.

Padmé's eyebrows shot up. "Son-in-law?" she said. "Were they that close?"

Anakin nodded as he watched Luke walk over to greet Han, with whom he had already become quite close. "She went up against Jabba the Hutt to save Han's life," he told her.

"Yes, that's right," Padme remembered. "Seems you changed his destiny as well," she commented.

"Yes, for the better, I assure you," he replied. "Somehow I don't think he'd be quite as receptive to my experience as Luke and Leia were," he remarked.

"No, I don't think so," Padmé agreed.

Anakin took her hand. "Come on," he said. "Let's go say hello."

Han Solo grew nervous when he noticed Leia's parents approaching. While he'd met Padmé, he had yet to meet Anakin. _What do I say to Anakin Skywalker? _He thought anxiously as he felt his palms starting to grow sweaty. Leia sensed his uneasiness and looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Looks like your dad is coming to check me out," Han replied.

Luke and Leia exchanged an amazed look.

"I don't think you need to worry about our dad, Han," Luke assured him. "He already likes you."

Han frowned and looked at Luke. "What are you talking about, kid? I've never met the man."

Luke smiled, and glanced at Leia. "Well, actually…"

**THE END**


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